Novation to Participation Agreement
WHEREAS, on August 1, 2002, a Participation Agreement (the "Agreement") was
entered into by and among Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company ("AVLIC"), on
its own behalf and on behalf of Ameritas Variable Separate Account VA and
Ameritas Variable Separate Account VL of AVLIC (the "Separate Accounts"),
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust (the "Fund"), and Franklin
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc. (the "Adviser"), and Ameritas Investment Corp.,
whereby AVLIC issues certain individual variable life and/or variable annuity
contracts (the "Contracts"), the Fund acts as the underlying investment vehicle
of such contracts and the Adviser serves as investment adviser to the Fund. A
copy of the Agreement is attached hereto and made a part hereof. The Agreement,
by its terms, provides for amendment upon the written agreement of all parties;
and
WHEREAS, the closing of the merger of AVLIC with and into Ameritas Life
Insurance Corp. ("Ameritas"), with Ameritas as the surviving company (the
"Merger") is currently scheduled to occur after the close of business on April
30, 2007; It is therefore agreed:
1. Substitution of Party - The Agreement is amended to provide for
Ameritas to act as the issuer of the Contracts in substitution of
AVLIC.
2. Performance of Duties - Ameritas hereby assumes and agrees to perform
the duties previously performed by AVLIC under the Agreement.
3. Assumption. of Rights - Ameritas hereby assumes the rights previously
held by AVLIC under the Agreement.
4. Effective Date - This Novation shall take effect as of the actual
closing date of the Merger, and such effectiveness is conditioned upon
the closing of the Merger. Ameritas will notify the other parties
hereto of any change in the scheduled closing date and of the actual
closing date.
In witness whereof the parties have signed this instrument.
Executed this 12th day of February, 2007.
AMERITAS VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE FRANKLIN ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ VARIABLE
COMPANY INSURANCE PRODUCTS TRUST
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Print: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ Print: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President Title: Vice President
Date: February 7, 2007 Date: February 12, 2007
AMERITAS INVESTMENT CORP FRANKLIN ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ DISTRIBUTORS, INC
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Print: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Print: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President Title: Senior Vice President
Date: February 7, 2007 Date: February 12, 2007
AMERITAS LIFE INSURANCE CORP.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Print: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Sr. Vice President
Date: February 7, 2007
Amendment No. 3 to Participation Agreement
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust
Franklin/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc.
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.
Ameritas Investment Corp.
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust (the "Trust"),
Franklin/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc. (the "Underwriter," and together with
the Trust, "we" or "us"), Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. (the "Company" or
"you"), and Ameritas Investment Corp., your distributor, on your behalf and
on behalf of certain Accounts, have previously entered into a Participation
Agreement dated August 1, 2002 and subsequently amended May 3, 2004 and June
5, 2007 (the "Agreement"). The parties now desire to amend the Agreement by
this amendment (the "Amendment").
Except as modified hereby, all other terms and conditions of the
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Unless otherwise indicated,
the terms defined in the Agreement shall have the same meaning in this
Amendment.
AMENDMENT
For good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties agree to amend the Agreement as follows:
1. Schedules B, C and D of the Agreement are deleted and replaced in
their entirety with the Schedules B, C and D attached hereto,
respectively.
2. All other terms and provisions of the Agreement not amended herein
shall remain in full force and effect.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused its duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment effective as of November 5, 2007.
The Trust: Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable
Insurance Products Trust
Only on behalf of each Portfolio
listed on Schedule C of the Agreement By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
The Underwriter: Franklin/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Senior Vice President
The Company: Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Senior Vice President,
Controller & Chief
Accounting Officer
The Distributor: Ameritas Investment Corp.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President & COO
Schedule B
Accounts of the Company
Name of Account SEC Registration Yes/No
Ameritas Variable Separate Account VL Yes
Ameritas Variable Separate Account VA Yes
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Separate Account LLVL Yes
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Separate Account LLVA Yes
Schedule C
Available Portfolios and Classes of Shares of the Trust
Templeton Global Asset Allocation Fund, Class 2
- Allocator 2000,
- Allocator 2000 Annuity,
- Designer Annuity,
- Executive Select and
- Regent 2000
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Foreign Securities Fund, Class 2
- Allocator 2000,
- Allocator 2000 Annuity,
- Designer Annuity,
- Executive Select and
- Regent 2000
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Income Securities Fund, Class 2
- No-Load VA 4080,
- No-Load VA 6150,
- Low Loan VUL 4055, and
- Low Load Survivorship VUL 6065
Schedule D
Contracts of the Company
1. Allocator 2000
2. Allocator 2000 Annuity
3. Designer Annuity
4. Executive Select
5. Regent 2000
6. No-Load VA -- 4080
7. No-Load VA -- 6150
8. Low Load VUL -- 4055
9. Low Load Survivorship VUL - 6065
Amendment No. 2 to Participation Agreement
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust
Franklin/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc.
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.
(Successor by merger to Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company)
Ameritas Investment Corp.
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust (the "Trust"),
Franklin/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc. (the "Underwriter," and together with the
Trust, "we" or "us"), Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. (successor by merger to
Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company) (the "Company" or "you"), and Ameritas
Investment Corp., your distributor, on your behalf and on behalf of certain
Accounts, have previously entered into a Participation Agreement dated August 1,
2002 and subsequently amended May 3, 2004 and February 12, 2007 (the
"Agreement"). The parties now desire to amend the Agreement by this amendment
(the "Amendment"). Unless otherwise indicated, the terms defined in the
Agreement shall have the same meaning in this Amendment.
WHEREAS, the parties have previously entered into a Novation to
Participation Agreement, dated February 12, 2007, pursuant to which Ameritas
Life Insurance Corp. ("Ameritas") replaced Ameritas Variable Life Insurance
Company (AVLIC) as a party to the Agreement and assumed rights and
responsibilities under this Agreement, as a result of a merger between Ameritas
and AVLIC, effective as of April 30, 2007.
AMENDMENT
For good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties agree to amend the Agreement as follows:
1. Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company is replaced by Ameritas Life
Insurance Corp. All references to Ameritas Variable Life Insurance
Company in this Agreement and prior amendments shall hereafter mean
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.
2. Section 1 and Section 2.2.1 are hereby each amended to reflect that
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust (the "Trust") is
organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of
Delaware, effective as of May 1, 2007.
3. Section 2.3.2 is amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
"2.3.2 Each investment adviser (each, an "Adviser") of a Portfolio, as
indicated in the current prospectus of the Portfolio, is duly
registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940, as amended, or exempt from such registration."
4. Section 3.1.3 is amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
"3.1.3 We agree that shares of the Trust will be sold only to: (i)
life insurance companies which have entered into fund participation
agreements with the Trust ("Participating Insurance Companies") and
their separate accounts or to qualified pension and retirement plans
in accordance with the terms of the Shared Funding Order; and (ii)
investment companies in the form of funds of funds. No shares of any
Portfolio will be sold to the general public."
5. Section 5.2 is amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
"5.2 If and to the extent required by law, you shall: (i) solicit
voting instructions from Contract owners; (ii) vote the Trust shares
in accordance with the instructions received from Contract owners; and
(iii) vote Trust shares owned by subaccounts for which no instructions
have been received from Contract owners in the same proportion as
Trust shares of such Portfolio for which instructions have been
received from Contract owners; so long as and to the extent that the
SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting
privileges for variable contract owners. You reserve the right to vote
Trust shares held in any Account in your own right, to the extent
permitted by law."
6. Schedules A, B, C, D, F and G of the Agreement are deleted and
replaced in their entirety with the Schedules A, B, C, D, F and G
attached hereto, respectively.
7. All other terms and provisions of the Agreement not amended herein
shall remain in full force and effect.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused its duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment effective as of June 5, 2007.
The Trust: FRANKLIN ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ VARIABLE
INSURANCE PRODUCTS TRUST
Only on behalf of each Portfolio
listed on Schedule C of the
Agreement By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Print: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
The Underwriter FRANKLIN ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ DISTRIBUTORS, INC
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Print: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Senior Vice President
The Company AMERITAS LIFE INSURANCE CORP.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Senior Vice President, Controller &
Chief Accounting Officer
The Distributor AMERITAS INVESTMENT CORP.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
Schedule A
The Company and The Distributor
THE COMPANY:
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.
▇▇▇▇ "▇" ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
An insurance company organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.
THE DISTRIBUTOR:
Ameritas Investment Corp.
▇▇▇▇ "▇" ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
A broker dealer organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.
Schedule B
Accounts of the Company
Name of Account SEC Registration
Yes/No
Ameritas Variable Separate Account VL Yes
Ameritas Variable Separate Account VA Yes
Schedule C
Available Portfolios and Classes of Shares of the Trust
Templeton Global Asset Allocation Fund, Class 2
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Foreign Securities Fund, Class 2
Schedule D
Contracts of the Company
1. Allocator 2000
2. Allocator 2000 Annuity
3. Designer Annuity
4. Executive Select
5. Regent 2000
Schedule E
This schedule is not used
Schedule F
Rule 12b-1 Plans of the Trust
Compensation
Each Class 2 Portfolio named on Schedule C of this Agreement shall pay
at an annualized payment rate of 0.25% stated as a percentage per year of that
Portfolio's Class 2 average daily net assets, pursuant to the terms and
conditions referenced below under its Class 2 Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan.
Agreement Provisions
If the Company, on behalf of any Account, purchases Trust Portfolio
shares ("Eligible Shares") that are subject to a Rule 12b-1 plan adopted under
the 1940 Act (the "Plan"), the Company may participate in the Plan.
To the extent the Company or its affiliates, agents or designees
(collectively "you") provide any activity or service that is primarily intended
to assist in the promotion, distribution or account servicing of Eligible Shares
("Rule 12b-1 Services") or variable contracts offering Eligible Shares, the
Underwriter, the Trust or their affiliates (collectively, "we") may pay you a
Rule 12b-1 fee. "Rule 12b-1 Services" may include, but are not limited to,
printing of prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes, preparing and
distributing sales literature and related expenses, advertisements, education of
dealers and their representatives, and similar distribution-related expenses,
furnishing personal services to owners of Contracts which may invest in Eligible
Shares ("Contract Owners"), education of Contract Owners, answering routine
inquiries regarding a Portfolio, coordinating responses to Contract Owner
inquiries regarding the Portfolios, maintaining such accounts or providing such
other enhanced services as a Trust Portfolio or Contract may require, or
providing other services eligible for service fees as defined under NASD rules.
Your acceptance of such compensation is your acknowledgment that
eligible services have been rendered. All Rule 12b-1 fees, shall be based on the
value of Eligible Shares owned by the Company on behalf of its Accounts, and
shall be calculated on the basis and at the rates set forth in the compensation
provision stated above. The aggregate annual fees paid pursuant to each Plan
shall not exceed the amounts stated as the "annual maximums" in the Portfolio's
prospectus, unless an increase is approved by shareholders as provided in the
Plan. These maximums shall be a specified percent of the value of a Portfolio's
net assets attributable to Eligible Shares owned by the Company on behalf of its
Accounts (determined in the same manner as the Portfolio uses to compute its net
assets as set forth in its effective Prospectus). The Rule 12b-1 fee will be
paid to you within thirty (30) days after the end of the three-month periods
ending in January, April, July and October.
You shall furnish us with such information as shall reasonably be
requested by the Trust's Boards of Trustees ("Trustees") with respect to the
Rule 12b-1 fees paid to you
pursuant to the Plans. We shall furnish to the Trustees, for their review on a
quarterly basis, a written report of the amounts expended under the Plans and
the purposes for which such expenditures were made.
The Plans and provisions of any agreement relating to such Plans must
be approved annually by a vote of the Trustees, including the Trustees who are
not interested persons of the Trust and who have no financial interest in the
Plans or any related agreement ("Disinterested Trustees"). Each Plan may be
terminated at any time by the vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees,
or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares as provided in the Plan, on
sixty (60) days' written notice, without payment of any penalty. The Plans may
also be terminated by any act that terminates the Underwriting Agreement between
the Underwriter and the Trust, and/or the management or administration agreement
between Franklin Advisers, Inc. and its affiliates and the Trust. Continuation
of the Plans is also conditioned on Disinterested Trustees being ultimately
responsible for selecting and nominating any new Disinterested Trustees. Under
Rule 12b-1, the Trustees have a duty to request and evaluate, and persons who
are party to any agreement related to a Plan have a duty to furnish, such
information as may reasonably be necessary to an informed determination of
whether the Plan or any agreement should be implemented or continued. Under Rule
12b-1, the Trust is permitted to implement or continue Plans or the provisions
of any agreement relating to such Plans from year-to-year only if, based on
certain legal considerations, the Trustees are able to conclude that the Plans
will benefit each affected Trust Portfolio and class. Absent such yearly
determination, the Plans must be terminated as set forth above. In the event of
the termination of the Plans for any reason, the provisions of this Schedule F
relating to the Plans will also terminate. You agree that your selling
agreements with persons or entities through whom you intend to distribute
Contracts will provide that compensation paid to such persons or entities may be
reduced if a Portfolio's Plan is no longer effective or is no longer applicable
to such Portfolio or class of shares available under the Contracts.
Any obligation assumed by the Trust pursuant to this Agreement shall
be limited in all cases to the assets of the Trust and no person shall seek
satisfaction thereof from shareholders of the Trust. You agree to waive payment
of any amounts payable to you by Underwriter under a Plan until such time as the
Underwriter has received such fee from the Trust.
The provisions of the Plans shall control over the provisions of the
Participation Agreement, including this Schedule F, in the event of any
inconsistency. You agree to provide complete disclosure as required by all
applicable statutes, rules and regulations of all rule 12b1 fees received from
us in the prospectus of the Contracts.
Schedule G
Addresses for Notices
To the Trust: Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Vice President
To the Underwriter: Franklin/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, President
If to the Trust or Underwriter
with a copy to: Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: General Counsel
To the Company: Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.
▇▇▇▇ "▇" ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: General Counsel
To the Distributor: Ameritas Investment Corp.
▇▇▇▇ "▇" ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: General Counsel
Amendment to Participation Agreement
As of May 3, 2004
by and among
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust
Franklin/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc.
Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company
Ameritas Investment Corp.
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust (the "Trust"),
Franklin/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc. (the "Underwriter," and together with the
Trust, "we" or "us") and Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company ("you"), your
distributor, on your behalf and on behalf of certain Accounts, have previously
entered into a Participation Agreement dated August 1, 2002 (the "Agreement").
The parties now desire to amend the Agreement in this amendment (the
"Amendment").
Except as modified hereby, all other terms and conditions of the
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Unless otherwise indicated, the
terms defined in the Agreement shall have the same meaning in this Amendment.
AMENDMENT
For good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties agree to amend the Agreement as follows:
1.1. The Advisors Group, Inc. is hereby replaced as your distributor by
Ameritas Investment Corp., a corporation organized under the laws of
the State of Nebraska (the "Distributor") as a party to the Agreement.
1.2. Section 2.1.6 of the Agreement is hereby amended to add the following
sentence at the end of the section:
"Without limiting the foregoing, you agree that in recommending to a
Contract owner the purchase, sale or exchange of any subaccount units
under the Contracts, you shall have reasonable grounds for believing
that the recommendation is suitable for such Contract owner."
2. A new Section 2.1.12 is hereby added to the Agreement as follows:
"2.1.12 As covered financial institutions we, only
with respect to Portfolio shareholders, and you each undertake and
agree to comply, and to take full responsibility in complying with any
and all applicable laws, regulations, protocols and other requirements
relating to money laundering including, without
limitation, the International Money Laundering Abatement and
Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001 (Title III of the USA PATRIOT
Act)."
3. Section 3 of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and
replaced with the following Section 3:
"3. Purchase and Redemption of Trust Portfolio Shares
3.1 Availability of Trust Portfolio Shares
3.1.1 We will make shares of the Portfolios available
to the Accounts for the benefit of the Contracts. The shares will be
available for purchase at the net asset value per share next computed
after we (or our agent, or you as our designee) receive a purchase
order, as established in accordance with the provisions of the then
current prospectus of the Trust. All orders are subject to acceptance
by us and by the Portfolio or its transfer agent, and become effective
only upon confirmation by us. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Trust's Board of Trustees ("Trustees") may refuse to sell shares of any
Portfolio to any person, or may suspend or terminate the offering of
shares of any Portfolio if such action is required by law or by
regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or if, in the sole
discretion of the Trustees, they deem such action to be in the best
interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio.
3.1.2 Without limiting the other provisions of this
Section 3.1, among other delegations by the Trustees, the Trustees have
determined that there is a significant risk that the Trust and its
shareholders may be adversely affected by investors with short term
trading activity and/or whose purchase and redemption activity follows
a market timing pattern as defined in the prospectus for the Trust, and
have authorized the Trust, the Underwriter and the Trust's transfer
agent to adopt procedures and take other action (including, without
limitation, rejecting specific purchase orders in whole or in part) as
they deem necessary to reduce, discourage, restrict or eliminate such
trading and/or market timing activity. You agree that your purchases
and redemptions of Portfolio shares are subject to, and that you will
assist us in implementing, the Market Timing Trading Policy and
Additional Policies (as described in the Trust's prospectus) and the
Trust's restrictions on excessive and/or short term trading activity
and/or purchase and redemption activity that follows a market timing
pattern.
3.1.3 We agree that shares of the Trust will be sold
only to life insurance companies which have entered into fund
participation agreements with the Trust ("Participating Insurance
Companies") and their separate accounts or to qualified pension and
retirement plans in accordance with the terms of the Shared Funding
Order. No shares of any Portfolio will be sold to the general public.
3.2 Manual or Automated-Portfolio Share Transactions
3.2.1 Section 3.3 of this Agreement shall govern and
Section 3.4 shall not be operative, unless we receive from you at the
address provided in the next sentence, written notice that you wish to
communicate, process and settle purchase and redemptions for shares
(collectively, "share transactions") via the Fund/SERV and Networking
systems of the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC"). The
address for you to send such written notice shall be: Retirement
Services, Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Investments, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇. After giving ten (10) days' advance
written notice at the address provided in the previous sentence of
your desire to use NSCC processing, Section 3.4 of this Agreement
shall govern and Section 3.3 shall not be operative.
3.2.2 At any time when, pursuant to the preceding paragraph,
Section 3.4 of this Agreement governs, any party to this Agreement may
send written notice to the other parties that it chooses to end the
use of the NSCC Fund/SERV and Networking systems and return to manual
handling of share transactions. Such written notice shall be sent: (i)
if from you to us, to the address provided in the preceding paragraph;
(ii) if from us to you, to your address in Schedule. G of this
Agreement. After giving ten (10) days' advance written notice at the
address as provided in the previous sentence, Section 3.3 of this
Agreement shall govern and Section 3.4 shall not be operative.
3.3 Manual Purchase and Redemption
3.3.1 You are hereby appointed as our designee for the sole
purpose of receiving from Contract owners purchase and exchange orders
and requests for redemption resulting from investment in and payments
under the Contracts that pertain to subaccounts that invest in
Portfolios ("Instructions"). "Business Day" shall mean any day on
which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the
Trust calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the SEC
and its current prospectus. "Close of Trading" shall mean the close of
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Time. You represent and warrant that all Instructions transmitted to
us for processing on or as of a given Business Day ("Day 1") shall
have been received in proper form and time stamped by you prior to the
Close of Trading on Day 1. Such Instructions shall receive the share
price next calculated following the Close of Trading on Day 1,
provided that we receive such Instructions from you before 9 a.m.
Eastern Time on the next Business Day ("Day 2"). You represent and
warrant that Instructions received in proper form and time stamped by
you after the Close of Trading on Day 1 shall be treated by you and
transmitted to us as if received on Day 2. Such Instructions shall
receive the share price next calculated following the Close of Trading
on Day 2. You represent and warrant that you have, maintain and
periodically test, procedures and systems in place reasonably designed
to prevent Instructions received after the Close of Trading on Day 1
from being executed with Instructions received before the Close of
Trading on
Day 1. All-Instructions we receive from you after 9 a.m Eastern Time
on Day 2 shall be processed by us on the following Business Day and
shall receive the share price next calculated following the Close of
Trading on Day 2.
3.3.2 We shall calculate the net asset value per share of each
Portfolio on each Business Day, and shall communicate these net asset
values to you or your designated agent on a daily basis as soon as
reasonably practical after the calculation is completed (normally by
6:30 p.m. Eastern Time).
3.3.3 You shall submit payment for the purchase of shares of
a Portfolio on behalf of an Account in federal funds transmitted by
wire to the Trust or to its designated custodian, which must receive
such wires no later than the close of the Reserve Bank, which is 6:00
p.m. Eastern Time, on the Business Day following the Business Day as
of which such purchases orders are made.
3.3.4 We will redeem any full or fractional shares of any
Portfolio, when requested by you on behalf of an Account, at the net
asset value next computed after receipt by us (or our agent or you as
our designee) of the request for redemption, as established in
accordance with the provisions of the then current prospectus of the
Trust. We shall make payment for such shares in the manner we
establish from time to time, but in no event shall payment be delayed
for a greater period than is permitted by the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
3.3.5 Issuance and transfer of the Portfolio shares will be
by book entry only. Stock certificates will not be issued to you or
the Accounts. Portfolio shares purchased from the Trust will be
recorded in the appropriate title for each Account or the appropriate
subaccount of each Account.
3.3.6 We shall furnish, on or before the ex-dividend date,
notice to you of any income dividends or capital gain distributions
payable on the shares of any Portfolio. You hereby elect to receive
all such income dividends and capital gain distributions as are
payable on shares of a Portfolio in additional shares of that
Portfolio, and you reserve the right to change this election in the
future. We will notify you of the number of shares so issued as
payment of such dividends and distributions.
3.3.7 Each party to this Agreement agrees that, in the event
of a material error resulting from incorrect information or
confirmations, the parties will seek to comply in all material
respects with the provisions of applicable federal securities laws.
3.4 Automated Purchase and Redemption
3.4.1 "FundISERV" shall mean NSCC's Mutual Fund Settlement,
Entry and Registration Verification System, a system for automated,
centralized processing of mutual fund purchase and redemption orders,
settlement, and account registration; "Networking" shall mean NSCC's
system that allows mutual funds and life insurance companies to
exchange account level information
electronically; and "Settling-Bank" shall mean the entity appointed by
the Trust or you, as applicable, to perform such settlement services
on behalf of the Trust and you, as applicable, which entity agrees to
abide by NSCC's then current rules and procedures insofar as they
relate to same day funds settlement. In all cases, processing and
settlement of share transactions shall be done in a manner consistent
with applicable law.
3.4.2 You are hereby appointed as our designee for the sole
purpose of receiving from Contract owners purchase and exchange orders
and requests for redemption resulting from investment in and payments
under the Contracts that pertain to subaccounts that invest in
Portfolios ("Instructions"). "Business Day" shall mean any day on
which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the
Trust calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the SEC
and its current prospectus. "Close of Trading" shall mean the close of
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Time. Upon receipt of Instructions, and upon your determination that
there are good funds with respect to Instructions involving the
purchase of shares, you will calculate the net purchase or redemption
order for each Portfolio.
3.4.3 On each Business Day, you shall aggregate all purchase
and redemption orders for shares of a Portfolio that you received
prior to the Close of Trading. You represent and warrant that all
orders for net purchases or net redemptions derived from Instructions
received by you and transmitted to Fund/SERV for processing on or as
of a given Business Day ("Day 1") shall have been received in proper
form and time stamped by you prior to the Close of Trading on Day 1.
Such orders shall receive the share price next calculated following
the Close of Trading on Day 1, provided that we receive Instructions
from Fund/SERV by 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time on the next Business Day
("Day 2"). You represent and warrant that orders received in good
order and time stamped by you after the Close of Trading on Day 1
shall be treated by you and transmitted to Fund/SERV as if received on
Day 2. Such orders shall receive the share price next calculated
following the Close of Trading on Day 2. All Instructions we receive
from Fund/SERV after 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Day 2 shall be
processed by us on the following Business Day and shall receive the
share price next calculated following the close of trading on Day 2.
You represent and warrant that you have, maintain and periodically
test, procedures and systems in place reasonably designed to prevent
orders received after the Close of Trading on Day 1 from being
executed with orders received before the Close of Trading on Day 1,
and periodically monitor the systems to determine their effectiveness.
Subject to your compliance with the foregoing, you will be considered
the designee of the Underwriter and the Portfolios, and the Business
Day on which Instructions are received by you in proper form prior to
the Close of Trading will be the date as of which shares of the
Portfolios are deemed purchased, exchanged or redeemed pursuant to
such Instructions. Dividends and capital gain distributions will be
automatically reinvested at net asset value in accordance with the
Portfolio's then current prospectus.
3.4.4 We shall calculate the net asset value per shave
of each Portfolio on each Business Day, and shall furnish to you
through NSCC's Networking or Mutual Fund Profile System: (i) the most
current net asset value information for each Portfolio; and (ii) in
the case of fixed income funds that declare daily dividends, the daily
accrual or the interest rate factor. All such information shall be
furnished to you by 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time on each Business Day or at
such other time as that information becomes available.
3.4.5 You will wire payment for net purchase orders by the
Trust's NSCC Firm Number, in immediately available funds, to an NSCC
settling bank account designated by you in accordance with NSCC rules
and procedures on the same Business Day such purchase orders are
communicated to NSCC. For purchases of shares of daily dividend
accrual funds, those shares will not begin to accrue dividends until
the day the payment for those shares is received.
3.4.6 We will redeem any full or fractional shares of any
Portfolio, when requested by you on behalf of an Account, at the net
asset value next computed after receipt by us (or our agent or you as
our designee) of the request for redemption, as established in
accordance with the provisions of the then current prospectus of the
Trust. NSCC will wire payment for net redemption orders by the Trust,
in immediately available funds, to an NSCC settling bank account
designated by you in accordance with NSCC rules and procedures on the
Business Day such redemption orders are communicated to NSCC, except
as provided in the Trust's prospectus and statement of additional
information.
3.4.7 Issuance and transfer of the Portfolio shares will be by
book entry only. Stock certificates will not be issued to you or the
Accounts. Portfolio shares purchased from the Trust will be recorded
in the appropriate title for each Account or the appropriate
subaccount of each Account.
3.4.8 We shall furnish through NSCC's Networking or Mutual
Fund Profile System on or before the ex-dividend date, notice to you
of any income dividends or capital gain distributions payable on the
shares of any Portfolio. You hereby elect to receive all such income
dividends and capital gain distributions as are payable on shares of a
Portfolio in additional shares of that Portfolio, and you reserve the
right to change this election in the future. We will notify you of the
number of shares so issued as payment of such dividends and
distributions.
3.4.9 All orders are subject to acceptance by Underwriter and
become effective only upon confirmation by Underwriter. Underwriter
reserves the right: (i) not to accept any specific order or part of
any order for the purchase or exchange of shares through Fund/SERV;
and (ii) to require any redemption order or any part of any redemption
order to be settled outside of Fund/SERV, in which case the order or
portion thereof shall not be "confirmed" by Underwriter, but rather
shall be accepted for redemption in accordance with Section 3.4.11
below.
3.4.10 All trades placed through Fund/SERV and confirmed by
Underwriter via Fund/SERV shall settle in accordance with
Underwriter's profile within Fund/SERV applicable to you. Underwriter
agrees to provide you with account positions and activity data
relating to share transactions via Networking.
3.4.11 If on any specific day you or Underwriter are unable to
meet the NSCC deadline for the transmission of purchase or redemption
orders for that day, a party may at its option transmit such orders
and make such payments for purchases and redemptions directly to you
or us, as applicable, as is otherwise provided in the Agreement;
provided, however, that we must receive written notification from you
by 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on any day that you wish to transmit such
orders and/or make such payments directly to us.
3.4.12 In the event that you or we are unable to or prohibited
from electronically communicating, processing or settling share
transactions via Fund/SERV, you or we shall notify the other,
including providing the notification provided above in Section 3.4.11.
After all parties have been notified, you and we shall submit orders
using manual transmissions as are otherwise provided in the Agreement.
3.4.13 These procedures are subject to any additional terms in
each Portfolio's prospectus and the requirements of applicable law.
The Trust reserves the right, at its discretion and without notice, to
suspend the sale of shares or withdraw the sale of shares of any
Portfolio.
3.4.14 Each party to the Agreement agrees that, in the event of a
material error resulting from incorrect information or confirmations,
the parties will seek to comply in all material respects with the
provisions of applicable federal securities laws.
3.4.15 You and Underwriter represent and warrant that each: (a)
has entered into an agreement with NSCC; (b) has met and will continue
to meet all of the requirements to participate in Fund/SERV and
Networking; (c) intends to remain at all times in compliance with the
then current rules and procedures of NSCC, all to the extent necessary
or appropriate to facilitate such communications, processing, and
settlement of share transactions; and (d) will notify the other
parties to this Agreement if there is a change in or a pending failure
with respect to its agreement with NSCC."
4. A new Section 6.7 is hereby added to the Agreement as follows:
"6.7 You agree that any posting of Portfolio prospectuses on
your website will result in the Portfolio prospectuses: (i) appearing
identical to the hard copy printed version; (ii) being clearly
associated with the particular Contracts in which they are available
and posted in close proximity to the applicable Contract prospectuses;
(iii) having no less prominence than prospectuses of any other
underlying funds available under the Contracts; and (iv) being used in
an
authorized manner. Notwithstanding the above, you understand and agree
that you are responsible for ensuring that participation in the
Portfolios, and any website posting, or other use, of the Portfolio
prospectuses is in compliance with this Agreement and applicable state
and federal securities and insurance, laws and regulations, including
as they relate to paper or electronic use of fund prospectuses. The
format of such presentation, the script and layout for any website
that mentions the Trust, the Underwriter, an Adviser or the Portfolios
shall be routed to us as sales literature or other promotional
materials, pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement.
In addition, you agree to be solely responsible for maintaining
and updating the Portfolio prospectuses' PDF files (including
prospectus supplements) and removing and/or replacing promptly any
outdated prospectuses, as necessary, ensuring that any accompanying
instructions by us, for using or stopping use are followed. You agree
to designate and make available to us a person to act as a single
point of communication contact for these purposes. We are not
responsible for any additional costs or additional liabilities that
may be incurred as a result of your election to place the Portfolio
prospectuses on your website. We reserve the right to revoke this
authorization, at any time and for any reason, although we may instead
make our authorization subject to new procedures."
5.- A new Section 6.8 is hereby added to the Agreement as follows:
"6.8 Each of your and your distributor's registered
representatives, agents, independent contractors and employees, as
applicable, will have access to our websites at ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇,
and such other URLs through which we may permit you to conduct
business concerning the Portfolios from time to time (referred to
collectively as the "Site") as provided herein: (i) upon registration
by such individual on a Site; (ii) if you cause a Site Access Request
Form (an "Access Form") to be signed by your authorized supervisory
personnel and submitted to us, as a Schedule to, and legally a part
of, this Agreement; or (iii) if you provide such individual with the
necessary access codes or other information necessary to access the
Site through any generic or firm-wide authorization we may grant you
from time to time. Upon receipt by us of a completed registration
submitted by an individual through the Site or a signed Access Form
referencing such individual, we shall be entitled to rely upon the
representations contained therein as if you had made them directly
hereunder and we will issue a user identification, express number
and/or password (collectively, "Access Code"). Any person to whom we
issue an Access Code or to whom you provide the necessary Access Codes
or other information necessary to access the Site through any generic
or firm-wide authorization we may grant you from time to time shall be
an "Authorized User."
We shall be entitled to assume that such person validly
represents you and that all instructions received from such person are
authorized, in which case such person will have access to the Site,
including all services and information to which you are authorized to
access on the Site. All inquiries and actions initiated
by you (including your Authorized Users) are your responsibility, are
at your nsk and are subject to our review and approval (which could
cause a delay in processing). You agree that we do not have a duty to
question information or instructions you (including Authorized Users)
give to us under this Agreement, and that we are entitled to treat as
authorized, and act upon, any such instructions and information you
submit to us. You agree to take all reasonable measures to prevent any
individual other than an Authorized User from obtaining access to the
Site. You agree to inform us if you wish to restrict or revoke the
access of any individual Access Code. If you become aware of any loss
or theft or unauthorized use of any Access Code, you agree to contact
us immediately. You also agree to monitor your (including Authorized
Users') use of the Site to ensure the terms of this Agreement are
followed. You also agree that you will comply with all policies and
agreements concerning Site usage, including without limitation the
Terms of Use Agreement(s) posted on the Site ("Site Terms"), as may be
revised and reposted on the Site from time to time, and those Site
Terms (as in effect from time to time) are a part of this Agreement.
Your duties under this section are considered "services" required under
the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge that the Site is
transmitted over the Internet on a reasonable efforts basis and we do
not warrant or guarantee their accuracy, timeliness, completeness,
reliability or non-infringement. Moreover, you acknowledge that the
Site is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended
to comply with any requirements established by any regulatory or
governmental agency."
6. A new paragraph is added at the end of Section 10.8 of the Agreement
as follows:
"Each party to this Agreement agrees to limit the disclosure
of nonpublic personal information of Contract owners consistent with
its policies on privacy with respect to such information and Regulation
S-P of the SEC. Each party hereby agrees that it will comply with all
applicable requirements under the regulations implementing Title V of
the ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇ Act and any other applicable federal and state
consumer privacy acts, rules and regulations. Each party further
represents that it has in place, and agrees that it will maintain,
information security policies and procedures for protecting nonpublic
personal customer information adequate to conform to applicable legal
requirements."
IN WITNESS WHEREFOR, each of the parties has caused its duly authorized officers
to execute this Amendment.
The Company AMERITAS VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President and Controller
The Distributor AMERITAS INVESTMENT CORP.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
The Trust FRANKLIN ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ VARIABLE
INSURANCE PRODUCTS TRUST
Only on behalf of each
Portfolio listed on By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Schedule C of the Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Agreement Title: Assistant Vice President
The Underwriter FRANKLIN/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
Participation Agreement
as of August 1, 2002
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust
Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc.
Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company
The Advisors Group, Inc.
CONTENTS
Section Subject Matter
1. Parties and Purpose
2. Representations and Warranties
3. Purchase and Redemption of Trust Portfolio Shares
4. Fees, Expenses, Prospectuses, Proxy Materials and Reports
5. Voting
6. Sales Material, Information and Trademarks
7. Indemnification
8. Notices
9. Termination
10. Miscellaneous
Schedules to this Agreement
A. The Company
B. Accounts of the Company
C. Available Portfolios and Classes of Shares of the Trust; Investment Advisers
D. Contracts of the Company
E. Other Portfolios Available under the Contracts
F. Rule 12b-1 Plans of the Trust
G. Addresses for Notices
H. Shared Funding Order
1. Parties and Purpose
This agreement (the "Agreement") is between certain portfolios,
specified below and in Schedule C, of Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance
Products Trust, an open-end management investment company organized as a
business trust under Massachusetts law (the "Trust"), Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Distributors, Inc., a California corporation which is the principal underwriter
for the Trust (the "Underwriter," and together with the Trust, "we" or "us") and
the insurance company identified on Schedule A ("you") and your distributor, on
your own behalf and on behalf of each
segregated asset account maintained by you that is listed on Schedule B, as
that schedule may be amended from time to time ("Account" or "Accounts").
The purpose of this Agreement is to entitle you, on behalf of the
Accounts, to purchase the shares, and classes of shares, of portfolios of the
Trust ("Portfolios") that are identified on Schedule C, solely for the purpose
of funding benefits of your variable life insurance policies or variable
annuity contracts ("Contracts") that are identified on Schedule D. This
Agreement does not authorize any other purchases or redemptions of shares of
the Trust.
2. Representations and Warranties
2.1 Representations and Warranties by You
You represent and warrant that:
2.1.1 You are an insurance company duly organized and in
good standing under the laws of your state of incorporation.
2.1.2 All of your directors, officers, employees, and other
individuals or entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Trust
are and shall be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar
coverage for the benefit of the Trust, in an amount not less than $5 million.
Such bond shall include coverage for larceny and embezzlement and shall be
issued by a reputable bonding company. You agree to make all reasonable efforts
to see that this bond or another bond containing such provisions is always in
effect, and you agree to notify us in the event that such coverage no longer
applies.
2.1.3 Each Account is a duly organized, validly existing
segregated asset account under applicable insurance law and interests in each
Account are offered exclusively through the purchase of or transfer into a
"variable contract" within the meaning of such terms under Section 817 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code") and the regulations
thereunder. You will use your best efforts to continue to meet such
definitional requirements, and will notify us immediately upon having a
reasonable basis for believing that such requirements have ceased to be met or
that they might not be met in the future.
2.1.4 Each Account either: (i) has been registered or, prior
to any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will be registered as a unit
investment trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"); or (ii)
has not been so registered in proper reliance upon an exemption from
registration under Section 3(c) of the 1940 Act; if the Account is exempt from
registration as an investment company under Section 3(c) of the 1940 Act, you
will use your best efforts to maintain such exemption and will notify us
immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that such exemption no
longer applies or might not apply in the future.
2.1.5 The Contracts or interests in the Accounts: (i) are
or, prior to any issuance or sale will be, registered as securities under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"); or (ii) are not registered
because they are properly exempt from registration under Section 3(a)(2) of the
1933 Act or will be offered exclusively in transactions that are properly
exempt from registration
under Section 4(2) or Regulation D of the 1933 Act, in which case you will make
every effort to maintain such exemption and will notify us immediately upon
having a reasonable basis for believing that such exemption no longer applies or
might not apply in the future.
2.1.6 The Contracts: (i) will be sold by broker-dealers, or
their registered representatives, who are registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "1934 Act") and who are members in good standing of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD"); (ii) will be issued and
sold in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and
state laws; and (iii) will be sold in compliance in all material respects with
state insurance suitability requirements and NASD suitability guidelines.
2.1.7 The Contracts currently are and will be treated as
annuity contracts or life insurance contracts under applicable provisions of the
Code and you will use your best efforts to maintain such treatment; you will
notify us immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that any of
the Contracts have ceased to be so treated or that they might not be so treated
in the future.
2.1.8 The fees and charges deducted under each Contract, in
the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services rendered, the expenses
expected to be incurred, and the risks assumed by you.
2.1.9 You will use shares of the Trust only for the purpose of
funding benefits of the Contracts through the Accounts.
2.1.10 Contracts will not be sold outside of the United States.
2.1.11 With respect to any Accounts which are exempt from
registration under the 1940 Act in reliance on 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7)
thereof:
2.1.11.1 the principal underwriter for each such Account and
any subaccounts thereof is a registered broker-
dealer with the SEC under the 1934 Act;
2.1.11.2 the shares of the Portfolios of the Trust are and
will continue to be the only investment securities
held by the corresponding subaccounts; and
2.1.11.3 with regard to each Portfolio, you, on behalf of
the corresponding subaccount, will:
(a) vote such shares held by it in the same
proportion as the vote of all other holders
of such shares; and
(b) refrain from substituting shares of another
security for such shares unless the SEC has
approved such
substitution in the manner provided in Section
26 of the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
2.1.12 You undertake and agree to comply, and to take full
responsibility in complying with any and all laws, regulations, protocols and
other requirements relating to money laundering both United States and foreign,
including, without limitation, the International Money Laundering Abatement and
Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001 (Title III of the USA Patriot Act),
hereinafter, collectively with the rules, regulations and orders promulgated
thereunder, the "Act," and any requirements and/or requests in connection
therewith, made by regulatory authorities, the Trust or the Underwriter or their
duly appointed agents, either generally or in respect of a specific transaction,
and/or in the context of a "primary money laundering concern" as defined in the
Act.
You agree as a condition precedent to any transaction taking or continuing to be
in effect, to comply with any and all anti-money laundering laws, regulations,
orders or requirements, and without prejudice to the generality of the above, to
provide regulatory authorities, the Trust, the Underwriter or their duly
appointed agents, with all necessary reports and information for them to fulfill
their obligations, if any, under the Act for the purposes of the Trust, the
Underwriter, or other third parties complying with any and all anti-money
laundering requirements, including, without limitation, the enhanced due
diligence obligations imposed by the Act, the filing of Currency Transaction
Reports and/or of Suspicious Activity Reports obligations required by the Act,
and/or the sharing of information requirements imposed by the Act.
In the event satisfactory reports and information are not received within a
reasonable time period from the date of the request, the Trust or the
Underwriter reserve the right to reject any transaction and/or cease to deal
with you and/or the Accounts.
Further, you represent that you have not received notice of, and to your
knowledge, there is no basis for, any claim, action, suit, investigation or
proceeding that might result in a finding that you are not or have not been in
compliance with the Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
You agree to notify the Trust and the Underwriter immediately if the
representation in the previous sentence is no longer true or if you have
reasonable basis for believing that such representation may no longer be true.
2.2 Representations and Warranties by the Trust
The Trust represents and warrants that:
2.2.1 It is duly organized and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Massachusetts.
2.2.2 All of its directors, officers, employees and others
dealing with the money and/or securities of a Portfolio are and shall be at all
times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the benefit of
the Trust in an amount not less than the minimum coverage required by Rule 17g-1
or other regulations under the 1940 Act. Such bond shall include coverage for
larceny and embezzlement and be issued by a reputable bonding company.
2.2.3 It is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
2.2.4 Each class of shares of the Portfolios of the Trust is
registered under the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
2.2.5 It will amend its registration statement under the
1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in order to effect the
continuous offering of its shares.
2.2.6 It will comply, in all material respects, with the
1933 and 1940 Acts and the rules and regulations thereunder.
2.2.7 It is currently qualified as a "regulated investment
company" under Subchapter M of the Code, it will make every effort to maintain
such qualification, and will notify you immediately upon having a reasonable
basis for believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so
qualify in the future.
2.2.8 The Trust will use its best efforts to comply with the
diversification requirements for variable annuity, endowment or life insurance
contracts set forth in Section 817(h) of the Code, and the rules and regulations
thereunder, including without limitation Treasury Regulation 1.817-5. Upon
having a reasonable basis for believing any Portfolio has ceased to comply and
will not be able to comply within the grace period afforded by Regulation
1.817-5, the Trust will notify you immediately and will take all reasonable
steps to adequately diversify the Portfolio to achieve compliance.
2.2.9 It currently intends for one or more classes of shares
(each, a "Class") to make payments to finance its distribution expenses,
including service fees, pursuant to a plan ("Plan") adopted under rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act ("Rule 12b-1"), although it may determine to discontinue such
practice in the future. To the extent that any Class of the Trust finances its
distribution expenses pursuant to a Plan adopted under rule 12b-1, the Trust
undertakes to comply with any then current SEC interpretations concerning rule
12b-1 or any successor provisions.
2.3 Representations and Warranties by the Underwriter
The Underwriter represents and warrants that:
2.3.1 It is registered as a broker dealer with the SEC under
the 1934 Act, and is a member in good standing of the NASD.
2.3.2 Each investment adviser listed on Schedule C (each, an
"Adviser") is duly registered as an investment adviser under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any applicable state securities law.
2.4 Warranty and Agreement by Both You and Us
We received an order from the SEC dated November 16, 1993 (file no.
812-8546), which was amended by a notice and an order we received on September
17, 1999 and October 13, 1999,
respectively (file no. 812-11698) (collectively, the "Shared Funding Order,"
attached to this Agreement as Schedule H). The Shared Funding Order grants
exemptions from certain provisions of the 1940 Act and the regulations
thereunder to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Trust to be sold to
and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of
both affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies and qualified pension
and retirement plans outside the separate account context. You and we both
warrant and agree that both you and we will comply with the "Applicants'
Conditions" prescribed in the Shared Funding Order as though such conditions
were set forth verbatim in this Agreement, including, without limitation, the
provisions regarding potential conflicts of interest between the separate
accounts which invest in the Trust and regarding contract owner voting
privileges. In order for the Trust's Board of Trustees to perform its duty to
monitor for conflicts of interest, you agree to inform us of the occurrence of
any of the events specified in condition 2 of the Shared Funding Order to the
extent that such event may or does result in a material conflict of interest as
defined in that order.
3. Purchase and Redemption of Trust Portfolio Shares
3.1 We will make shares of the Portfolios available to the Accounts
for the benefit of the Contracts. The shares will be available for purchase at
the net asset value per share next computed after we (or our agent) receive a
purchase order, as established in accordance with the provisions of the then
current prospectus of the Trust. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust's
Board of Trustees ("Trustees") may refuse to sell shares of any Portfolio to any
person, or may suspend or terminate the offering of shares of any Portfolio if
such action is required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction
or if, in the sole discretion of the Trustees, they deem such action to be in
the best interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio. Without limiting the
foregoing, the Trustees have determined that there is a significant risk that
the Trust and its shareholders may be adversely affected by investors whose
purchase and redemption activity follows a market timing pattern, and have
authorized the Trust, the Underwriter and the Trust's transfer agent to adopt
procedures and take other action (including, without limitation, rejecting
specific purchase orders) as they deem necessary to reduce, discourage or
eliminate market timing activity. You agree to cooperate with us to assist us in
implementing the Trust's restrictions on purchase and redemption activity that
follows a market timing pattern.
3.2 We agree that shares of the Trust will be sold only to life
insurance companies which have entered into fund participation agreements with
the Trust ("Participating Insurance Companies") and their separate accounts or
to qualified pension and retirement plans in accordance with the terms of the
Shared Funding Order. No shares of any Portfolio will be sold to the general
public.
3.3 You agree that all net amounts available under the Contracts shall
be invested in: (i) the Company's general account; (ii) investment companies
currently available as funding vehicles for the Contracts and appearing on
Schedule E of this Agreement; or (iii) other investment companies, provided that
you shall have given the Trust and the Underwriter thirty (30) days' advance
written notice of your intention to add such other investment companies.
3.4 You shall be the designee for us for receipt of purchase orders
and requests for redemption resulting from investment in and payments under the
Contracts ("Instructions"). The
Business Day on which such Instructions are received in proper form by you and
time stamped by the close of trading will be the date as of which Portfolio
shares shall be deemed purchased, exchanged, or redeemed as a result of such
Instructions. Instructions received in proper form by you and time stamped after
the close of trading on any given Business Day shall be treated as if received
on the next following Business Day. You warrant that all orders, Instructions
and confirmations received by you which will be transmitted to us for processing
on a Business Day will have been received and time stamped prior to the Close of
Trading on that Business Day. Instructions we receive after 9 a.m. Eastern Time
shall be processed on the next Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day
on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the Trust
calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the SEC and its current
prospectus.
3.5 We shall calculate the net asset value per share of each
Portfolio on each Business Day, and shall communicate these net asset values to
you or your designated agent on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical
after the calculation is completed (normally by 6:30 p.m. Eastern time).
3.6 You shall submit payment for the purchase of shares of a
Portfolio on behalf of an Account in federal funds transmitted by wire to the
Trust or to its designated custodian, which must receive such wires no later
than the close of the Reserve Bank, which is 6:00 p.m. East Coast time, on the
Business Day following the Business Day as of which such purchases orders are
made.
3.7 We will redeem any full or fractional shares of any Portfolio,
when requested by you on behalf of an Account, at the net asset value next
computed after receipt by us (or our agent) of the request for redemption, as
established in accordance with the provisions of the then current prospectus of
the Trust. We shall make payment for such shares in the manner we establish from
time to time, but in no event shall payment be delayed for a greater period than
is permitted by the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
3.8 Issuance and transfer of the Portfolio shares will be by book
entry only. Stock certificates will not be issued to you or the Accounts.
Portfolio shares purchased from the Trust will be recorded in the appropriate
title for each Account or the appropriate subaccount of each Account.
3.9 We shall furnish, on or before the ex-dividend date, notice to
you of any income dividends or capital gain distributions payable on the shares
of any Portfolio. You hereby elect to receive all such income dividends and
capital gain distributions as are payable on shares of a Portfolio in additional
shares of that Portfolio, and you reserve the right to change this election in
the future. We will notify you of the number of shares so issued as payment of
such dividends and distributions.
3.10 Each party to this Agreement agrees that, in the event of a
material error resulting from incorrect information or confirmations, the
parties will seek to comply in all material respects with the provisions of
applicable federal securities laws.
4. Fees, Expenses, Prospectuses, Proxy Materials and Reports
4.1 We shall pay no fee or other compensation to you under this
Agreement except as provided on Schedule F, if attached.
4.2 We shall prepare and be responsible for filing with the SEC, and
any state regulators requiring such filing, all shareholder reports, notices,
proxy materials (or similar materials such as voting instruction solicitation
materials), prospectuses and statements of additional information of the Trust.
We shall bear the costs of preparation and filing of the documents listed in the
preceding sentence, registration and qualification of the Trust's shares of the
Portfolios.
4.3 We shall use reasonable efforts to provide you, on a timely basis,
with such information about the Trust, the Portfolios and each Adviser, in such
form as you may reasonably require, as you shall reasonably request in
connection with the preparation of disclosure documents and annual and
semi-annual reports pertaining to the Contracts.
4.4 At your option, we shall provide you, at our expense, with either:
(i) for each Contract owner who is invested through the Account in a subaccount
corresponding to a Portfolio ("designated subaccount"), one copy of each of the
following documents on each occasion that such document is required by law or
regulation to be delivered to such Contract owner who is invested in a
designated subaccount: the Trust's current prospectus, annual report,
semi-annual report and other shareholder communications, including any
amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, pertaining specifically to
the Portfolios ("Designated Portfolio Documents"); or (ii) a camera ready copy
of such Designated Portfolio Documents in a form suitable for printing and from
which information relating to series of the Trust other than the Portfolios has
been deleted to the extent practicable. In connection with clause (ii) of this
paragraph, we will pay for proportional printing costs for such Designated
Portfolio Documents in order to provide one copy for each Contract owner who is
invested in a designated subaccount on each occasion that such document is
required by law or regulation to be delivered to such Contract owner, and
provided the appropriate documentation is provided and approved by us. We shall
provide you with a copy of the Trust's current statement of additional
information, including any amendments or supplements, in a form suitable for you
to duplicate. The expenses of furnishing, including mailing, to Contract owners
the documents referred to in this paragraph shall be borne by you. For each of
the documents provided to you in accordance with clause (i) of this paragraph
4.4, we shall provide you, upon your request and at your expense, additional
copies. In no event shall we be responsible for the costs of printing or
delivery of Designated Portfolio Documents to potential or new Contract owners
or the delivery of Designated Portfolio Documents to existing contract owners.
4.5 We shall provide you, at our expense, with copies of any
Trust-sponsored proxy materials in such quantity as you shall reasonably require
for distribution to Contract owners who are invested in a designated subaccount.
You shall bear the costs of distributing proxy materials (or similar materials
such as voting solicitation instructions) to Contract owners.
4.6 You assume sole responsibility for ensuring that the Trust's
prospectuses, shareholder reports and communications, and proxy materials are
delivered to Contract owners in accordance with applicable federal and state
securities laws.
5. Voting
5.1 All Participating Insurance Companies shall have the obligations
and responsibilities regarding pass-through voting and conflicts of interest
corresponding to those contained in the Shared Funding Order.
5.2 If and to the extent required by law, you shall: (i) solicit voting
instructions from Contract owners; (ii) vote the Trust shares in accordance with
the instructions received from Contract owners; and (iii) vote Trust shares for
which no instructions have been received in the same proportion as Trust shares
of such Portfolio for which instructions have been received; so long as and to
the extent that the SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require
pass-through voting privileges for variable contract owners. You reserve the
right to vote Trust shares held in any Account in your own right, to the extent
permitted by law.
5.3 So long as, and to the extent that, the SEC interprets the 1940 Act
to require passthrough voting privileges for Contract owners, you shall provide
pass-through voting privileges to Contract owners whose Contract values are
invested, through the Accounts, in shares of one or more Portfolios of the
Trust. We shall require all Participating Insurance Companies to calculate
voting privileges in the same manner and you shall be responsible for assuring
that the Accounts calculate voting privileges in the manner established by us.
With respect to each Account, you will vote shares of each Portfolio of the
Trust held by an Account and for which no timely voting instructions from
Contract owners are received in the same proportion as those shares held by that
Account for which voting instructions are received. You and your agents will in
no way recommend or oppose or interfere with the solicitation of proxies for
Portfolio shares held to fund the Contracts without our prior written consent,
which consent may be withheld in our sole discretion.
6. Sales Material, Information and Trademarks
6.1 For purposes of this Section 6, "Sales literature or other
Promotional material" includes, but is not limited to, portions of the following
that use any logo or other trademark related to the Trust, or Underwriter or its
affiliates, or refer to the Trust: advertisements (such as material published or
designed for use in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical, radio,
television, telephone or tape recording, videotape display, signs or billboards,
motion pictures, electronic communication or other public media), sales
literature (i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally
available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research
reports, market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts or
any other advertisement, sales literature or published article or electronic
communication), educational or training materials or other communications
distributed or made generally available to some or all agents or employees in
any media, and disclosure documents, shareholder reports and proxy materials.
6.2 You shall furnish, or cause to be furnished to us or our designee,
at least one complete copy of each registration statement, prospectus, statement
of additional information,
private placement memorandum, retirement plan disclosure information or other
disclosure documents or similar information, as applicable (collectively
"Disclosure Documents"), as well as any report, solicitation for voting
instructions, Sales literature or other Promotional materials, and all
amendments to any of the above that relate to the Contracts or the Accounts
prior to its first use. You shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to us
or our designee each piece of Sales literature or other Promotional material in
which the Trust or an Adviser is named, at least fifteen (15) Business Days
prior to its proposed use. No such material shall be used unless we or our
designee approve such material and its proposed use.
6.3 You and your agents shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Trust or concerning the Trust,
the Underwriter or an Adviser, other than information or representations
contained in and accurately derived from the registration statement or
prospectus for the Trust shares (as such registration statement and prospectus
may be amended or supplemented from time to time), annual and semi-annual
reports of the Trust, Trust-sponsored proxy statements, or in Sales literature
or other Promotional material approved by the Trust or its designee, except as
required by legal process or regulatory authorities or with the written
permission of the Trust or its designee. You shall send us a complete copy of
each Disclosure Document and item of Sales literature or other Promotional
materials in its final form within twenty (20) days of its first use.
6.4 We shall not give any information or make any representations or
statements on behalf of you or concerning you, the Accounts or the Contracts
other than information or representations, including naming you as a Trust
shareholder, contained in and accurately derived from Disclosure Documents for
the Contracts (as such Disclosure Documents may be amended or supplemented from
time to time), or in materials approved by you for distribution, including Sales
literature or other Promotional materials, except as required by legal process
or regulatory authorities or with your written permission.
6.5 Except as provided in Section 6.2, you shall not use any
designation comprised in whole or part of the names or marks "Franklin" or
"▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇" or any logo or other trademark relating to the Trust or the
Underwriter without prior written consent, and upon termination of this
Agreement for any reason, you shall cease all use of any such name or ▇▇▇▇ as
soon as reasonably practicable.
6.6 You shall furnish to us ten (10) Business Days prior to its first
submission to the SEC or its staff, any request or filing for no-action
assurance or exemptive relief naming, pertaining to, or affecting, the Trust,
the Underwriter or any of the Portfolios.
7. Indemnification
7.1 Indemnification By You
7.1.1 You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the
Underwriter, the Trust and each of its Trustees, officers, employees and agents
and each person, if any, who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15
of the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" and individually the
"Indemnified Party" for purposes of this Section 7) against any and all losses,
claims, damages, fines, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
your written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) or
expenses (including the reasonable costs of investigating or defending any
alleged loss, claim, damage, fines, liability or expense and reasonable legal
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) (collectively, "Losses"), to
which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute or
regulation, or at common law or otherwise, insofar as such Losses are related to
the sale or acquisition of shares of the Trust or the Contracts and
7.1.1.1 arise out of or are based upon any untrue
statements or alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained
in a Disclosure Document for the Contracts or in the Contracts
themselves or in sales literature generated or approved by you on
behalf of the Contracts or Accounts (or any amendment or supplement to
any of the foregoing) (collectively, "Company Documents" for the
purposes of this Section 7), or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, provided that this indemnity shall not apply as
to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reliance upon and was accurately
derived from written information furnished to you by or on behalf of
the Trust for use in Company Documents or otherwise for use in
connection with the sale of the Contracts or Trust shares; or
7.1.1.2 arise out of or result from statements or
representations (other than statements or representations contained in
and accurately derived from Trust Documents as defined below in Section
7.2) or wrongful conduct of you or persons under your control, with
respect to the sale or acquisition of the Contracts or Trust shares; or
7.1.1.3 arse out of or result from any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
Trust Documents as defined below in Section 7.2 or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading if
such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and accurately
derived from written information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf
of you; or
7.1.1.4 arise out of or result from any failure by
you to provide the services or furnish the materials required under the
terms of this Agreement;
7.1.1.5 arise out of or result from any material
breach of any representation and/or warranty made by you in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach of
this Agreement by you; or
7.1.1.6 arise out of or result from a Contract
failing to be considered a life insurance policy or an annuity
Contract, whichever is appropriate, under applicable provisions of the
Code thereby depriving the Trust of its compliance with Section 817(h)
of the Code.
7.1.2 You shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any Losses to which an Indemnified Party would
otherwise be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance,
bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's
duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of
obligations and duties under this Agreement or to the Trust or Underwriter,
whichever is applicable. You shall also not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified you in writing within a reasonable
time after the summons or other first legal process giving information of the
nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after
such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any
designated agent), but failure to notify you of any such claim shall not relieve
you from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom
such action is brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification
provision. In case any such action is brought against the Indemnified Parties,
you shall be entitled to participate, at your own expense, in the defense of
such action. Unless the Indemnified Party releases you from any further
obligations under this Section 7.1, you also shall be entitled to assume the
defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action.
After notice from you to such party of your election to assume the defense
thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it, and you will not be liable to such party
under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by
such party independently in connection with the defense thereof other than
reasonable costs of investigation.
7.1.3 The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify you of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection with
the issuance or sale of the Trust shares or the Contracts or the operation of
the Trust.
7.2 Indemnification By The Underwriter
7.2.1 The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
you, and each of your directors and officers and each person, if any, who
controls you within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" and individually an "Indemnified Party" for purposes of
this Section 7.2) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities
(including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the
Underwriter, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) or expenses
(including the reasonable costs of investigating or defending any alleged loss,
claim, damage, liability or expense and reasonable legal counsel fees incurred
in connection therewith) (collectively, "Losses") to which the Indemnified
Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or otherwise,
insofar as such Losses are related to the sale or
acquisition of the shares of the Trust or the Contracts and:
7.2.1.1 arise out of or are based upon any untrue
statements or alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained
in the Registration Statement, prospectus or sales literature of the
Trust (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing)
(collectively, the "Trust Documents") or arise out of or are based upon
the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall
not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission of
such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished to us by or on behalf of you for
use in the Registration Statement or prospectus for the Trust or in
sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use
in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Trust shares; or
7.2.1.2 arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or representations contained in
the Disclosure Documents or sales literature for the Contracts not
supplied by the Underwriter or persons under its control) or wrongful
conduct of the Trust, Adviser or Underwriter or persons under their
control, with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or
Trust shares; or
7.2.1.3 arise out of any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Disclosure Document
or sales literature covering the Contracts, or any amendment thereof or
supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statement or statements therein not misleading, if such
statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished
to you by or on behalf of the Trust; or
7.2.1.4 arise as a result of any failure by us to
provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in good faith
or otherwise, to comply with the qualification representation specified
above in Section 2.2.7 and the diversification requirements specified
above in Section 2.2.8); or
7.2.1.5 arise out of or result from any material
breach of any representation and/or warranty made by the Underwriter in
this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach
of this Agreement by the Underwriter; as limited by and in accordance
with the provisions of Sections 7.2.2 and 7.2.3 hereof.
7.2.2 The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any Losses to which an Indemnified
Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party's willful
misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such
Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless
disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to you or the
Accounts, whichever is applicable.
7.2.3 The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified
Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Underwriter in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal
process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served
upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received
notice of such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the
Underwriter of any such claim shall not relieve the Underwriter from any
liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is
brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In case any
such action is brought against the Indemnified Parties, the Underwriter will be
entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. Unless the
Indemnified Party releases the Underwriter from any further obligations under
this Section 7.2, the Underwriter also shall be entitled to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After
notice from the Underwriter to such party of the Underwriter's election to
assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it, and the Underwriter will not be liable to
such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently
incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof
other than reasonable costs of investigation.
7.2.4 You agree promptly to notify the Underwriter of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against you or the Indemnified
Parties in connection with the issuance or sale of the Contracts or the
operation of each Account.
7.3 Indemnification By The Trust
7.3.1 The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless you,
and each of your directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls
you within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 7.3) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Trust, which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld) or litigation (including legal and other expenses) to which the
Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or
actions in respect thereof) or settlements result from the gross negligence, bad
faith or willful misconduct of the Board or any member thereof, are related to
the operations of the Trust, and arise out of or result from any material breach
of any representation and/or warranty made by the Trust in this Agreement or
arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the
Trust; as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 7.3.2 and
7.3.3 hereof. It is understood and expressly stipulated that neither the holders
of shares of the Trust nor any Trustee, officer, agent or employee of the Trust
shall be personally liable hereunder, nor shall any resort be had to other
private property for the satisfaction of any claim or obligation hereunder, but
the Trust only shall be liable.
7.3.2 The Trust shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed against any Indemnified Party as
such may arise from such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or
gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by
reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations and duties
under this Agreement or to you, the Trust, the Underwriter or each Account,
whichever is applicable.
7.3.3 The Trust shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Trust in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claims shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Trust of any
such claim shall not relieve the Trust from any liability which it may have to
the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on
account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Trust will be entitled to participate, at
its own expense, in the defense thereof Unless the Indemnified Party releases
the Trust from any further obligations under this Section 7.3, the Trust also
shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to
the party named in the action. After notice from the Trust to such party of the
Trust's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear
the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the Trust
will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other
expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with
the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
7.3.4 You agree promptly to notify the Trust of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against you or the Indemnified
Parties in connection with this Agreement, the issuance or sale of the
Contracts, with respect to the operation of the Account, or the sale or
acquisition of shares of the Trust.
8. Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or certified mail
to the other party at the address of such party set forth in Schedule G below or
at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing to
the other party.
9. Termination
9.1 This Agreement may be terminated by mutual agreement at any time.
If this Agreement is so terminated, we shall, at your option, continue to make
available additional shares of any Portfolio and redeem shares of any Portfolio
for any or all Contracts or Accounts existing on the effective date of
termination of this Agreement, pursuant to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement.
9.2 This Agreement may be terminated by any party in its entirety or
with respect to one, some or all Portfolios for any reason by sixty (60) days'
advance written notice delivered to the other parties. If this Agreement is so
terminated, we may, at our option, continue to make available additional shares
of any Portfolio and redeem shares of any Portfolio for any or all Contracts or
Accounts existing on the effective date of termination of this Agreement,
pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement; alternatively, we may,
at our option, redeem the Portfolio shares held by the Accounts, provided that
such redemption shall not occur prior to six (6) months following written notice
of termination, during which time we will cooperate with you in effecting a
transfer of Portfolio assets to another underlying fund pursuant to any legal
and appropriate means.
9.3 This Agreement may be terminated immediately by us upon written
notice to you if you materially breach any of the representations and warranties
made in this Agreement or you are materially in default in the performance of
any of your duties or obligations under the Agreement, receive a written notice
thereof and fail to remedy such default or breach to our reasonable satisfaction
within 30 days after such notice. If this Agreement so terminates, the parties
shall cooperate to effect an orderly windup of the business which may include,
at our option, a redemption of the Portfolio shares held by the Accounts,
provided that such redemption shall not occur prior to a period of up to six (6)
months following written notice of termination, during which time we will
cooperate reasonably with you in effecting a transfer of Portfolio assets to
another underlying fund pursuant to any legal and appropriate means.
9.4 This Agreement may be terminated immediately by us upon written
notice to you if, with respect to the representations and warranties made in
sections 2.1.3, 2.1.5, 2.1.7 and 2.1.12 of this Agreement: (i) you materially
breach any of such representations and warranties; or (ii) you inform us that
any of such representations and warranties may no longer be true or might not be
true in the future; or (iii) any of such representations and warranties were not
true on the effective date of this Agreement, are at any time no longer true, or
have not been true during any time since the effective date of this Agreement.
If this Agreement is so terminated, the Trust may redeem, at its option in kind
or for cash, the Portfolio shares held by the Accounts on the effective date of
termination of this Agreement.
9.5 This Agreement may be terminated by the Board of Trustees of the
Trust, in the exercise of its fiduciary duties, either upon its determination
that such termination is a necessary and appropriate remedy for a material
breach of this Agreement which includes a violation of laws, or upon its
determination to completely liquidate a Portfolio. Pursuant to such termination,
the Trust may redeem, at its option in kind or for cash, the Portfolio shares
held by the Accounts on the effective date of termination of this Agreement;
9.6 This Agreement shall terminate immediately in the event of its
assignment by any party without the prior written approval of the other parties,
or as otherwise required by law. If this Agreement is so terminated, the Trust
may redeem, at its option in kind or for cash, the Portfolio shares held by the
Accounts on the effective date of termination of this Agreement.
9.7 This Agreement shall be terminated as required by the Shared
Funding Order, and its provisions shall govern.
9.8 The provisions of Sections 2 (Representations and Warranties) and
7 (Indemnification) shall survive the termination of this Agreement. All other
applicable provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this
Agreement, as long as shares of the Trust are held on behalf of Contract owners,
except that we shall have no further obligation to sell Trust shares with
respect to Contracts issued after termination.
9.9 You shall not redeem Trust shares attributable to the Contracts
(as opposed to Trust shares attributable to your assets held in the Account)
except: (i) as necessary to implement Contract owner initiated or approved
transactions; (ii) as required by state and/or federal laws or regulations or
judicial or other legal precedent of general application (hereinafter referred
to as a "Legally
Required Redemption"); or (iii) as permitted by an order of the SEC pursuant to
Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act. Upon request, you shall promptly furnish to us
the opinion of your counsel (which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to
us) to the effect that any redemption pursuant to clause (ii) of this Section
9.9 is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore, you shall not prevent
Contract owners from allocating payments to any Portfolio that has been
available under a Contract without first giving us ninety (90) days advance
written notice of your intention to do so.
10. Miscellaneous
10.1 The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions of this
Agreement or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
10.2 This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
10.3 If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid
by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement
shall not be affected thereby.
10.4 This Agreement shall be construed and its provisions interpreted
under and in accordance with the laws of the State of California. It shall also
be subject to the provisions of the federal securities laws and the rules and
regulations thereunder, to any orders of the SEC on behalf of the Trust granting
it exemptive relief, and to the conditions of such orders. We shall promptly
forward copies of any such orders to you.
10.5 The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that all
liabilities of the Trust arising, directly or indirectly, under this Agreement,
of any and every nature whatsoever, shall be satisfied solely out of the assets
of the Trust and that no Trustee, officer, agent or holder of shares of
beneficial interest of the Trust shall be personally liable for any such
liabilities.
10.6 The parties to this Agreement agree that the assets and
liabilities of each Portfolio of the Trust are separate and distinct from the
assets and liabilities of each other Portfolio. No Portfolio shall be liable or
shall be charged for any debt, obligation or liability of any other Portfolio.
10.7 Each party to this Agreement shall cooperate with each other
party and all appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation
the SEC, the NASD, and state insurance regulators) and shall permit such
authorities reasonable access to its books and records in connection with any
investigation or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions
contemplated hereby.
10.8 Each party shall treat as confidential all information of the
other party which the parties agree in writing is confidential ("Confidential
Information"). Except as permitted by this Agreement or as required by
appropriate governmental authority (including, without limitation, the SEC, the
NASD, or state securities and insurance regulators) the receiving party shall
not disclose or
use Confidential Information of the other party before it enters the public
domain, without the express written consent of the party providing the
Confidential Information.
10.9 The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement
are cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and
obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties to this Agreement are
entitled to under state and federal laws.
10.10 The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that this
Agreement shall not be exclusive in any respect, except as provided above in
Section 3.3.
10.11 Neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations created by
it may be assigned by any party without the prior written approval of the other
parties.
10.12 No provisions of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any
manner except by a written agreement properly authorized and executed by both
parties.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties have caused their duly
authorized officers to execute this Agreement.
The Company: Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Title:
Title: President and COO
Distributor for the Company: The Advisors Group, Inc.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: SVPR CFO
The Trust: Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance
Only on behalf of each Products Trust
Portfolio listed on
Schedule C hereof. By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Assistant Vice President
The Underwriter: Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc.
By: /s/ ▇ ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name:
Title:
Schedule A
The Company and its Distributor
Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company
▇▇▇▇ "▇" ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
A life insurance company organized as a corporation under Nebraska law.
The Advisors Group, Inc.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
A securities broker dealer, investment adviser organized as a corporation under
Maryland law.
Schedule B
Accounts of the Company
Name: Ameritas Variable Separate Account VL
Date Established: May 17, 2002
SEC Registration Number: 811-21136
Name: Ameritas Variable Separate Account VA
Date Established: May 17, 2002
SEC Registration Number: 811-21135
Schedule C
Available Portfolios and Classes of Shares of the Trust; Investment Advisers
Portfolio and Class Investment Adviser
Templeton Global Asset Allocation Fund Class 2 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Investment Counsel, LLC
Templeton Foreign Securities Fund Class 2 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Investment Counsel, LLC
Schedule D
Contracts of the Company
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insurance Product Name Separate Account Name
# Company Registered YIN Registered Y/N Classes of Shares and Portfolios
1933 Act #, State Form ID 1940 Act #
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01 Ameritas Allocator 2000 Ameritas Variable Separate Class 2 shares:
Variable Yes Account ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Asset Allocation Fund
Life 333-91750 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Foreign Securities Fund
Insurance 8010
Company
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
02 Ameritas Allocator 2000 Annuity Ameritas Variable Separate Class 2 shares:
Variable Yes Account VA Templeton Global Asset Allocation Fund
Life 333-91670 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Foreign Securities Fund
Insurance 8850
Company
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
03 Ameritas Regent 2000 Ameritas Variable Separate Class 2 shares:
Variable Yes Account ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Asset Allocation Fund
Life 333-91674 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Foreign Securities Fund
Insurance 8065
Company
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
04 Ameritas Executive Select Ameritas Variable Separate Class 2 shares:
Variable Yes Account ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Asset Allocation Fund
Life 333-91748 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Foreign Securities Fund
Insurance 8020
Company
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05 Ameritas AVLI Designer Annuity Ameritas Variable Separate Class 2 shares:
Variable Yes Account VA Templeton Global Asset Allocation Fund
Life 333-91672 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Foreign Securities Fund
Insurance 8888
Company
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Schedule E
Other Portfolios Available under the Contracts
The ▇▇▇▇▇ American Fund
Deutsche Asset Management VIT Funds
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Series, Inc. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Portfolios
Fidelity Variable Insurance Products: Service Class 2
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Advisors Management Trust
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Account Funds
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ Worldwide Insurance Trust
Schedule F Rule 12b-1 Plans
Compensation Schedule
Each Portfolio named below shall pay the following amounts pursuant to the terms
and conditions referenced below under its Class 2 Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan,
stated as a percentage per year of Class 2's average daily net assets
represented by shares of Class 2.
Portfolio Name Maximum Annual Payment Rate
Templeton Global Asset Allocation Fund 0.25%
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Foreign Securities Fund 0.25%
Agreement Provisions
If the Company, on behalf of any Account, purchases Trust Portfolio
shares ("Eligible Shares") which are subject to a Rule 12b-1 plan adopted under
the 1940 Act (the "Plan"), the Company may participate in the Plan.
To the extent the Company or its affiliates, agents or designees
(collectively "you") provide any activity or service which is primarily intended
to assist in the promotion, distribution or account servicing of Eligible Shares
("Rule 12b-1 Services") or variable contracts offering Eligible Shares, the
Underwriter, the Trust or their affiliates (collectively, "we") may pay you a
Rule 12b-1 fee. "Rule 12b-1 Services" may include, but are not limited to,
printing of prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes, preparing and
distributing sales literature and related expenses, advertisements, education of
dealers and their representatives, and similar distribution-related expenses,
furnishing personal services to owners of Contracts which may invest in Eligible
Shares ("Contract Owners"), education of Contract Owners, answering routine
inquiries regarding a Portfolio, coordinating responses to Contract Owner
inquiries regarding the Portfolios, maintaining such accounts or providing such
other enhanced services as a Trust Portfolio or Contract may require, or
providing other services eligible for service fees as defined under NASD rules.
Your acceptance of such compensation is your acknowledgment that eligible
services have been rendered. All Rule 12b-1 fees, shall be based on the value of
Eligible Shares owned by the Company on behalf bf its Accounts, and shall be
calculated on the basis and at the rates set forth in the Compensation Schedule
stated above. The aggregate annual fees paid pursuant to each Plan shall not
exceed the amounts stated as the "annual maximums" in the Portfolio's
prospectus, unless an increase is approved by shareholders as provided in the
Plan. These maximums shall be a specified percent of the value of a Portfolio's
net assets attributable to Eligible Shares owned by the Company on behalf of its
Accounts (determined in the same manner as the Portfolio uses to compute its net
assets as set forth in its effective Prospectus). The Rule 12b-1 fee will be
paid to you within thirty (30) days after the end of the three-month periods
ending in January, April, July and October.
You shall furnish us with such information as shall reasonably be
requested by the Trust's Boards of Trustees ("Trustees") with respect to the
Rule 12b-1 fees paid to you pursuant to the Plans. We shall furnish to the
Trustees, for their review on a quarterly basis, a written report of the amounts
expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.
The Plans and provisions of any agreement relating to such Plans must
be approved annually by a vote of the Trustees, including the Trustees who are
not interested persons of the Trust and who have no financial interest in the
Plans or any related agreement ("Disinterested Trustees"). Each Plan may be
terminated at any time by the vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees,
or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares as provided in the Plan, on
sixty (60) days' written notice, without payment of any penalty. The Plans may
also be terminated by any act that terminates the Underwriting Agreement between
the Underwriter and the Trust, and/or the management or administration agreement
between Franklin Advisers, Inc. and its affiliates and the Trust. Continuation
of the Plans is also conditioned on Disinterested Trustees being ultimately
responsible for selecting and nominating any new Disinterested Trustees. Under
Rule 12b-1, the Trustees have a duty to request and evaluate, and persons who
are party to any agreement related to a Plan have a duty to furnish, such
information as may reasonably be necessary to an informed determination of
whether the Plan or any agreement should be implemented or continued. Under Rule
12b-1, the Trust is permitted to implement or continue Plans or the provisions
of any agreement relating to such Plans from year-to-year only if, based on
certain legal considerations, the Trustees are able to conclude that the Plans
will benefit each affected Trust Portfolio and class. Absent such yearly
determination, the Plans must be terminated as set forth above. In the event of
the termination of the Plans for any reason, the provisions of this Schedule F
relating to the Plans will also terminate. You agree that your selling
agreements with persons or entities through whom you intend to distribute
Contracts will provide that compensation paid to such persons or entities may be
reduced if a Portfolio's Plan is no longer effective or is no longer applicable
to such Portfolio or class of shares available under the Contracts.
Any obligation assumed by the Trust pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited
in all cases to the assets of the Trust and no person shall seek satisfaction
thereof from shareholders of the Trust. You agree to waive payment of any
amounts payable to you by Underwriter under a Plan until such time as the
Underwriter has received such fee from the Trust.
The provisions of the Plans shall control over the provisions of the
Participation Agreement, including this Schedule F, in the event of any
inconsistency.
You agree to provide complete disclosure as required by all applicable statutes,
rules and regulations of all rule 12b-1 fees received from us in the prospectus
of the Contracts.
Schedule G
Addresses for Notices
To the Company or the
Company Distributor: Ameritas Variable Life Insurance Company
▇▇▇▇ "▇" ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: General Counsel
To the Trust: Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust
▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Assistant Vice President
To the Underwriter: Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Distributors, Inc. ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Vice President
Schedule H
Shared Funding Order
Templeton Variable Products Series Fund, et al.
File No. 812-11698
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Release No. IC-24018
1999 SEC LEXIS 1887
September 17, 1999
ACTION: Notice of application for an amended order of exemption pursuant to
Section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") from the
provisions of Sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b) of the 1940 Act and Rules
6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder.
TEXT: Summary of Application: Templeton Variable Products Series Fund (the
"Templeton Trust"), Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust
(formerly Franklin Valuemark Funds) (the "VIP Trust," and together with the
Templeton Trust, the "Funds"), ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Funds Annuity Company ("TFAC") or any
successor to TFAC, and any future open-end investment company for which TFAC or
any affiliate is the administrator, sub-administrator, investment manager,
adviser, principal underwriter, or sponsor ("Future Funds") seek an amended
order of the Commission to (1) add as parties to that order the VIP Trust and
any Future Funds and (2) permit shares of the Funds and Future Funds to be
issued to and held by qualified pension and retirement plans outside the
separate account context.
Applicants: Templeton Variable Products Series Fund, Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Variable Insurance Products Trust, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Funds Annuity Company or any
successor to TFAC, and any future open-end investment company for which TFAC or
any affiliate is the administrator, sub-administrator, investment manager,
adviser, principal underwriter, or sponsor (collectively, the "Applicants").
Filing Date: The application was filed on July 14, 1999, and amended and
restated on September 17, 1999.
Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An order granting the application will be
issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested persons may request a
hearing by writing to the Secretary of the Commission and serving Applicants
with a copy of the request, personally or by mail. Hearing requests should be
received by the Commission by 5:30 p.m., on October 12, 1999, and should be
accompanied by proof of service on the Applicants in the form of an affidavit
or, for lawyers, a certificate of service. Hearing requests should state the
nature of the writer's interest, the reason for the request, and the issues
contested. Persons who wish to be notified of a hearing may request notification
by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
Addresses: Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇.
Applicants: Templeton Variable Products Series Fund and Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Variable Insurance Products Trust, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
For Further Information Contact: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Senior Counsel, or ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇.
▇▇▇▇▇, Branch Chief, Office of Insurance Products, Division of Investment
Management, at (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇.
Supplementary Information: The following is a summary of the application. The
complete application is available for a fee from the SEC's Public Reference
Branch, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇., ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ (tel. (202)
▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇).
Applicants' Representations:
1. Each of the Funds is registered under the 1940 Act as an open-end management
investment company and was organized as a Massachusetts business trust. The
Templeton Trust currently consists of eight separate series, and the VIP Trust
consists of twenty-five separate series. Each Fund's Declaration of Trust
permits the Trustees to create additional series of shares at any time. The
Funds currently serve as the underlying investment medium for variable annuity
contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by various insurance
companies. The Funds have entered into investment management agreements with
certain investment managers ("Investment Managers") directly or indirectly owned
by Franklin Resources, Inc. ("Resources"), a publicly owned company engaged in
the financial services industry through its subsidiaries.
2. TFAC is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Resources. TFAC is the sole
insurance company in the Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ organization, and specializes in the
writing of variable annuity contracts. The Templeton Trust has entered into a
Fund Administration Agreement with Franklin ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Services, Inc. ("FT
Services"), which replaced TFAC in 1998 as administrator, and FT Services
subcontracts certain services to TFAC. FT Services also serves as administrator
to all series of the VIP Trust. TFAC and FT Services provide certain
administrative facilities and services for the VIP and Templeton Trusts.
3. On November 16, 1993, the Commission issued an order granting exemptive
relief to permit shares of the Templeton Trust to be sold to and held by
variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of both
affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies (Investment Company Act
Release No. 19879, File No. 812-8546) (the "Original Order"). Applicants
incorporate by reference into the application the Application for the Original
Order and each amendment thereto, the Notice of Application for the Original
Order, and the Original Order, to the extent necessary, to supplement the
representations made in the application in support of the requested relief
Applicants represent that all of the facts asserted in the Application for the
Original Order and any amendments thereto remain true and accurate in all
material respects to the extent that such facts are relevant to any relief on
which Applicants continue to rely. The Original Order allows the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust
to offer its shares to insurance companies as the investment vehicle for their
separate accounts supporting variable annuity contracts and variable life
insurance contracts (collectively, the "Variable Contracts"). Applicants state
that the Original Order does not (i) include the VIP Trust or Future Funds as
parties, nor (ii) expressly address the sale of shares of the Funds or any
Future Funds to qualified pension and retirement plans outside the separate
account context including, without limitation, those trusts, plans, accounts,
contracts or annuities described in Sections 40I(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408(b),
408(k), 414(d), 457(b), 501(c)(18) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code"), and any other trust, plan, contract, account or annuity
that is determined to be within the scope of Treasury Regulation
1.817.5(f)(3)(iii) ("Qualified Plans").
4. Separate accounts owning shares of the Funds and their insurance company
depositors are referred to in the application as "Participating Separate
Accounts" and "Participating Insurance Companies," respectively. The use of a
common management investment company as the underlying investment medium for
both variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of a single
insurance company (or of two or more affiliated insurance companies) is referred
to as "mixed funding," The use of a common management investment company as the
underlying investment medium for variable annuity and/or variable life insurance
separate accounts of unaffiliated insurance companies is referred to as "shared
funding."
Applicants' Legal Analysis:
1. Applicants request that the Commission issue an amended order pursuant to
Section 6(c) of the 1940 Act, adding the VIP Trust and Future Funds to the
Original Order and exempting scheduled premium vaiiable life insurance separate
accounts and flexible premium variable life insurance separate accounts of
Participating Insurance Companies (and, to the extent necessary, any principal
underwriter and depositor of such an account) and the Applicants from Sections
9(a), 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b) of the 1940 Act, and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and
6e-3(T)(b)(15) (and any comparable rule) thereunder, respectively, to the extent
necessary to permit shares of the Funds and any Future Funds to be sold to and
held by
Qualified Plans. Applicants submit that the exemptions requested are appropriate
in the public interest, consistent with the protection of investors, and
consistent with the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the
1940 Act.
2. The Original Order does not include the VIP Trust or Future Funds as parties
nor expressly address the sale of shares of the Funds or any Future Funds to
Qualified Plans. Applicants propose that the VIP Trust and Future Funds be added
as parties to the Original Order and the Funds and any Future Funds be permitted
to offer and sell their shares to Qualified Plans.
3. Section 6(c) of the 1940 Act provides, in part, that the Commission, by order
upon application, may conditionally or unconditionally exempt any person,
security or transaction, or any class or classes of persons, securities or
transactions from any provisions of the 1940 Act or the rules or regulations
thereunder, if and to the extent that such exemption is necessary or appropriate
in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the
purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the 1940 Act.
4. In connection with the funding of scheduled premium variable life insurance
contracts issued through a separate account registered under the 1940 Act as a
unit investment trust ("UIT"), Rule 6e-2(b)(15) provides partial exemptions from
various provisions of the 1940 Act, including the following: (1) Section 9(a),
which makes it unlawful for certain individuals to act in the capacity of
employee, officer, or director for a UIT, by limiting the application of the
eligibility restrictions in Section 9(a) to affiliated persons directly
participating in the management of a registered management investment company;
and (2) Sections 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b) of the 1940 Act to the extent that those
sections might be deemed to require "pass-through" voting with respect to an
underlying fund's shares, by allowing an insurance company to disregard the
voting instructions of contractowners in certain circumstances.
5. These exemptions are available, however, only where the management investment
company underlying the separate account (the "underlying fund") offers its
shares "exclusively to variable life insurance separate accounts of the life
insurer, or of any affiliated life insurance company." Therefore, Rule 6e-2 does
not permit either mixed funding or shared funding because the relief granted by
Rule 6e-2(b)(15) is not available with respect to a scheduled premium variable
life insurance separate account that owns shares of an underlying fund that also
offers its shares to a variable annuity or a flexible premium variable life
insurance separate account of the same company or of any affiliated life
insurance company. Rule 6e-2(b)(15) also does not permit the sale of shares of
the underlying fund to Qualified Plans.
6. In connection with flexible premium variable life insurance contracts issued
through a separate account registered under the 1940 Act as a UIT, Rule
6e-3(T)(b)(15) also provides partial exemptions from Sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a)
and 15(b) of the 1940 Act. These exemptions, however, are available only where
the separate account's underlying fund offers its shares "exclusively to
separate accounts of the life insurer, or of any affiliated life insurance
company, offering either scheduled contracts or flexible contracts, or both; or
which also offer their shares to variable annuity separate accounts of the life
insurer or of an affiliated life insurance company." Therefore, Rule 6e-3(T)
permits mixed funding but does not permit shared funding and also does not
permit the sale of shares of the underlying fund to Qualified Plans. As noted
above, the Original Order granted the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust exemptive relief to permit
mixed and shared funding, but did not expressly address the sale of its shares
to Qualified Plans.
7. Applicants note that if the Funds were to sell their shares only to Qualified
Plans, exemptive relief under Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) would not be necessary.
Applicants state that the relief provided for under Rule 6e-2(b)(15) and Rule
6e-3(T)(b)(15) does not relate to qualified pension and retirement plans or to a
registered investment company's ability to sell its shares to such plans.
8. Applicants state that changes in the federal tax law have created the
opportunity for each of the Funds to increase its asset base through the sale of
its shares to Qualified Plans. Applicants state that Section 817(h) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), imposes certain
diversification standards on the assets underlying Variable Contracts. Treasury
Regulations generally require that, to meet the diversification requirements,
all of the beneficial interests in the underlying investment company must be
held by the segregated asset accounts of one or more life insurance companies.
Notwithstanding this, Applicants note that the Treasury Regulations also contain
an exception to this requirement that permits trustees of a Qualified Plan to
hold shares of an investment company, the shares of which are also held by
insurance company segregated asset accounts, without adversely affecting the
status of the investment
company as an adequately diversified underlying investment of Variable Contracts
issued through such segregated asset accounts (Treas. Reg. 1.817-5(0(3)(iii)).
9. Applicants state that the promulgation of Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)
(15) under the 1940 Act preceded the issuance of these Treasury Regulations.
Thus, Applicants assert that the sale of shares of the same investment company
to both separate accounts and Qualified Plans was not contemplated at the time
of the adoption of Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15).
10. Section 9(a) provides that it is unlawful for any company to serve as
investment adviser or principal underwriter of any registered open-end
investment company if an affiliated person of that company is subject to a
disqualification enumerated in Section 9(a)(1) or (2). Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and
6e-3(T)(b)(15) provide exemptions from Section 9(a) under certain circumstances,
subject to the limitations on mixed and shared funding. These exemptions limit
the application of the eligibility restrictions to affiliated individuals or
companies that directly participate in the management of the underlying
portfolio investment company.
11. Applicants state that the relief granted in Rule 6e-2(b)(15) and
6e-3(T)(b)(15) from the requirements of Section 9 limits, in effect, the amount
of monitoring of an insurer's personnel that would otherwise be necessary to
ensure compliance with Section 9 to that which is appropriate in light of the
policy and purposes of Section 9. Applicants submit that those Rules recognize
that it is not necessary for the protection of investors or the purposes fairly
intended by the policy and provisions of the 1940 Act to apply the provisions of
Section 9(a) to the many individuals involved in an insurance company complex,
most of whom typically will have no involvement in matters pertaining to
investment companies funding the separate accounts.
12. Applicants to the Original Order previously requested and received relief
from Section 9(a) and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) to the extent
necessary to permit mixed and shared funding. Applicants maintain that the
relief previously granted from Section 9(a) will in no way be affected by the
proposed sale of shares of the Funds to Qualified Plans. Those individuals who
participate in the management or administration of the Funds will remain the
same regardless of which Qualified Plans use such Funds. Applicants maintain
that more broadly applying the requirements of Section 9(a) because of
investment by Qualified Plans would not serve any regulatory purpose. Moreover,
Qualified Plans, unlike separate accounts, are not themselves investment
companies and therefore are not subject to Section 9 of the 1940 Act.
13. Applicants state that Rules 6e-2(b)(15)(iii) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15)(iii) provide
exemptions from the pass-through voting requirement with respect to several
significant matters, assuming the limitations on mixed and shared funding are
observed. Rules 6e-2(b)(15)(iii)(A) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15)(iii)(A) provide that the
insurance company may disregard the voting instructions of its contractowners
with respect to the investments of an underlying fund or any contract between a
fund and its investment adviser, when required to do so by an insurance
regulatory authority (subject to the provisions of paragraphs (b)(5)(i) and
(b)(7)(ii)(A) of the Rules). Rules 6e-2(b)(15)(iii)(B) and
6e-3(T)(b)(15)(iii)(A)(2) provide that the insurance company may disregard
contractowners' voting instructions if the contractowners initiate any change in
such company's investment policies, principal underwriter, or any investment
adviser (provided that disregarding such voting instructions is reasonable and
subject to the other provisions of paragraphs (b)(5)(ii) and (b)(7)(ii)(B) and
(C) of the Rules).
14. Applicants assert that Qualified Plans, which are not registered as
investment companies under the 1940 Act, have no requirement to pass-through the
voting rights to plan participants. Applicants state that applicable law
expressly reserves voting rights to certain specified persons. Under Section
403(a) of the Employment Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA"), shares of a
fund sold to a Qualified Plan must be held by the trustees of the Qualified
Plan. Section 403(a) also provides that the trustee(s) must have exclusive
authority and discretion to manage and control the Qualified Plan with two
exceptions: (I) when the Qualified Plan expressly provides that the trustee(s)
are subject to the direction of a named fiduciary who is not a trustee, in which
case the trustees are subject to proper directions made in accordance with the
terms of the Qualified Plan and not contrary to ERISA; and (2) when the
authority to manage, acquire or dispose of assets of the Qualified Plan is
delegated to one or more investment managers pursuant to Section 402(c)(3) of
ERISA. Unless one of the two above exceptions stated in Section 403(a) applies,
Qualified Plan trustees have the exclusive authority and responsibility for
voting proxies. Where a named fiduciary to a Qualified Plan appoints an
investment manager, the investment manager has the responsibility to vote the
shares held unless the right to vote such
shares is reserved to the trustees or the named fiduciary. Where a Qualified
Plan does not provide participants with the right to give voting instructions,
Applicants do not see any potential for material irreconcilable conflicts of
interest between or among variable contract holders and Qualified Plan investors
with respect to voting of the respective Fund's shares. Accordingly, Applicants
state that, unlike the case with insurance company separate accounts, the issue
of the resolution of material irreconcilable conflicts with respect to voting is
not present with respect to such Qualified Plans since the Qualified Plans are
not entitled to pass-through voting privileges.
15. Even if a Qualified Plan were to hold a controlling interest in one of the
Funds, Applicants believe that such control would not disadvantage other
investors in such Fund to any greater extent than is the case when any
institutional shareholder holds a majority of the voting securities of any
open-end management investment company. In this regard, Applicants submit that
investment in a Fund by a Qualified Plan will not create any of the voting
complications occasioned by mixed funding or shared funding. Unlike mixed or
shared funding, Qualified Plan investor voting rights cannot be frustrated by
veto rights of insurers or state regulators.
16. Applicants state that some of the Qualified Plans, however, may provide for
the trustee(s), an investment adviser (or advisers), or another named fiduciary
to exercise voting rights in accordance with instructions from participants.
Where a Qualified Plan provides participants with the right to give voting
instructions, Applicants see no reason to believe that participants in Qualified
Plans generally or those in a particular Qualified Plan, either as a single
group or in combination with participants in other Qualified Plans, would vote
in a manner that would disadvantage Variable Contract holders. In sum,
Applicants maintain that the purchase of shares of the Funds by Qualified Plans
that provide voting rights does not present any complications not otherwise
occasioned by mixed or shared funding.
17. Applicants do not believe that the sale of the shares of the Funds to
Qualified Plans will increase the potential for material irreconcilable
conflicts of interest between or among different types of investors. In
particular, Applicants see very little potential for such conflicts beyond that
which would otherwise exist between variable annuity and variable life insurance
contractowners.
18. As noted above, Section 817(h) of the Code imposes certain diversification
standards on the underlying assets of variable contracts held in an underlying
mutual fund. The Code provides that a variable contract shall not be treated as
an annuity contract or life insurance, as applicable, for any period (and any
subsequent period) for which the investments are not, in accordance with
regulations prescribed by the Treasury Department, adequately diversified.
19. Treasury Department Regulations issued under Section 817(h) provide that, in
order to meet the statutory diversification requirements, all of the beneficial
interests in the investment company must be held by the segregated asset
accounts of one or more insurance companies. However, the Regulations contain
certain exceptions to this requirement, one of which allows shares in an
underlying mutual fund to be held by the trustees of a qualified pension or
retirement plan without adversely affecting the ability of shares in the
underlying fund also to be held by separate accounts of insurance companies in
connection with their variable contracts (Treas. Reg. 1.817-5(0(3)(iii)). Thus,
Applicants believe that the Treasury Regulations specifically permit "qualified
pension or retirement plans" and separate accounts to invest in the same
underlying fund. For this reason, Applicants have concluded that neither the
Code nor the Treasury Regulations or revenue rulings thereunder presents any
inherent conflict of interest.
20. Applicants note that while there are differences in the manner in which
distributions from Variable Contracts and Qualified Plans are taxed, these
differences will have no impact on the Funds. When distributions are to be made,
and a Separate Account or Qualified Plan is unable to net purchase payments to
make the distributions, the Separate Account and Qualified Plan will redeem
shares of the Funds at their respective net asset value in conformity with Rule
22c-1 under the 1940 Act (without the imposition of any sales charge) to provide
proceeds to meet distribution needs. A Qualified Plan will make distributions in
accordance with the terms of the Qualified Plan.
21. Applicants maintain that it is possible to provide an equitable means of
giving voting rights to Participating Separate Account contractowners and to
Qualified Plans. In connection with any meeting of shareholders, the Funds will
inform each shareholder, including each Participating Insurance Company and
Qualified Plan, of information necessary for the meeting, including their
respective share of ownership in the relevant Fund. Each Participating Insurance
Company will then solicit voting instructions in accordance with Rules 6e-2 and
6e-3(T), as applicable, and its participation agreement with the relevant Fund.
Shares held by Qualified Plans will be voted in accordance with
applicable law. The voting rights provided to Qualified Plans with respect to
shares of the Funds would be no different from the voting rights that are
provided to Qualified Plans with respect to shares of funds sold to the general
public.
22. Applicants have concluded that even if there should arise issues with
respect to a state insurance commissioner's veto powers over investment
objectives where the interests of contractowners and the interests of Qualified
Plans are in conflict, the issues can be almost immediately resolved since the
trustees of (or participants in) the Qualified Plans can, on their own, redeem
the shares out of the Funds. Applicants note that state insurance commissioners
have been given the veto power in recognition of the fact that insurance
companies usually cannot simply redeem their separate accounts out of one fund
and invest in another. Generally, time-consuming, complex transactions must be
undertaken to accomplish such redemptions and transfers. Conversely, the
trustees of Qualified Plans or the participants in participantdirected Qualified
Plans can make the decision quickly and redeem their interest in the Funds and
reinvest in another funding vehicle without the same regulatory impediments
faced by separate accounts or, as is the case with most Qualified Plans, even
hold cash pending suitable investment.
23. Applicants also state that they do not see any greater potential for
material irreconcilable conflicts arising between the interests of participants
under Qualified Plans and contractowners of Participating Separate Accounts from
possible future changes in the federal tax laws than that which already exist
between variable annuity contractowners and variable life insurance
contractowners. 24. Applicants state that the sale of shares of the Funds to
Qualified Plans in addition to separate accounts of Participating Insurance
Companies will result in an increased amount of assets available for investment
by the Funds. This may benefit variable contractowners by promoting economies of
scale, by permitting increased safety of investments through greater
diversification, and by making the addition of new portfolios more feasible.
25. Applicants assert that, regardless of the type of shareholders in each Fund,
each Fund's Investment Manager is or would be contractually and otherwise
obligated to manage the Fund solely and exclusively in accordance with that
Fund's investment objectives, policies and restrictions as well as any
guidelines established by the Board of Trustees of such Fund (the "Board"). The
Investment Manager works with a pool of money and (except in a few instances
where this may be required in order to comply with state insurance laws) does
not take into account the identity of the shareholders. Thus, each Fund will be
managed in the same manner as any other mutual fund. Applicants therefore see no
significant legal impediment to permitting the sale of shares of the Funds to
Qualified Plans.
26. Applicants state that the Commission has permitted the amendment of a
substantially similar original order for the purpose of adding a party to the
original order and has permitted open-end management investment companies to
offer their shares directly to Qualified Plan in addition to separate accounts
of affiliated or unaffiliated insurance companies which issue either or both
variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance contracts. Applicants
state that the amended order sought in the application is identical to precedent
with respect to the conditions Applicants propose should be imposed on Qualified
Plans in connection with investment in the Funds.
Applicants' Conditions:
If the requested amended order is granted, Applicants consent to the following
conditions:
1. A majority of the Board of each Fund shall consist of persons who are not
"interested persons" thereof, as defined by Section 2(a)(l9) of the 1940 Act,
and the rules thereunder and as modified by any applicable orders of the
Commission, except that if this 'condition is not met by reason of the death,
disqualification or bona fide resignation of any Board Member or Members, then
the operation of this condition shall be suspended: (a) for a period of 45 days
if the vacancy or vacancies may be filled by the remaining Board Members; (b)
for a period of 60 days if a vote of shareholders is required to fill the
vacancy or vacancies; or (c) for such longer period as the Commission may
prescribe by order upon application.
2. The Board will monitor their respective Fund for the existence of any
material irreconcilable conflict among the interests of the Variable Contract
owners of all Separate Accounts investing in the Funds and of the Qualified Plan
participants investing in the Funds. The Board will determine what action, if
any, shall be taken in response to such conflicts. A material irreconcilable
conflict may arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any
state
insurance regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or state
insurance, tax or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private
letter ruling, no-action or interpretive letter, or any similar action by
insurance, tax or securities regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or
judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the
investments of the Funds are being managed; (e) a difference in voting
instructions given by variable annuity contract owners, variable life insurance
contract owners, and trustees of Qualified Plans; (f) a decision by an insurer
to disregard the voting instructions of Variable Contract owners; or (g) if
applicable, a decision by a Qualified Plan to disregard the voting instructions
of Qualified Plan participants.
3. Participating Insurance Companies, the Investment Managers, and any Qualified
Plan that executes a fund participation agreement upon becoming an owner of 10
percent or more of the assets of an Fund (a "Participating Qualified Plan"),
will report any potential or existing conflicts of which it becomes aware to the
Board of any relevant Fund. Participating Insurance Companies, the Investment
Managers and the Participating Qualified Plans will be responsible for assisting
the Board in carrying out its responsibilities under these conditions by
providing the Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Board to
consider any issues raised. This responsibility includes, but is not limited to,
an obligation by each Participating Insurance Company to inform the Board
whenever voting instructions of Contract owners are disregarded and, if
pass-through voting is applicable, an obligation by each Participating Qualified
Plan to inform the Board whenever it has determined to disregard Qualified Plan
participant voting instructions. The responsibility to report such information
and conflicts, and to assist the Board, will be contractual obligations of all
Participating Insurance Companies investing in the Funds under their agreements
governing participation in the Funds, and such agreements shall provide that
these responsibilities will be carried out with a view only to the interests of
the Variable Contract owners. The responsibility to report such information and
conflicts, and to assist the Board, will be contractual obligations of all
Participating Qualified Plans under their agreements governing participation in
the Funds, and such agreements will provide that their responsibilities will be
carried out with a view only to the interests of Qualified Plan participants.
4. If it is determined by a majority of the Board of a Fund, or by a majority of
the disinterested Board Members, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists,
the relevant Participating Insurance Companies and Participating Qualified Plans
will, at their own expense and to the extent reasonably practicable as
determined by a majority of the disinterested Board Members, take whatever steps
are necessary to remedy or eliminate the material irreconcilable conflict, which
steps could include: (a) in the case of Participating Insurance Companies,
withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the Separate Account s from
the Fund or any portfolio thereof and reinvesting such assets in a different
investment medium, including another portfolio of an Fund or another Fund, or
submitting the question as to whether such segregation should be implemented to
a vote of all affected Variable Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating
the assets of any appropriate group (i.e., variable annuity contract owners or
variable life insurance contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance
Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
Variable Contract owners the option of making such a change; (b) in the case of
Participating Qualified Plans, withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all
of the Qualified Plans from the Fund and reinvesting such assets in a different
investment medium; and (c) establishing a new registered management investment
company or managed Separate Account. If a material irreconcilable conflict
arises because of a decision by a Participating Insurance Company to disregard
Variable Contract owner voting instructions, and that decision represents a
minority position or would preclude a majority vote, then the insurer may be
required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the insurer's Separate Account
investment in such Fund, and no charge or penalty will be imposed as a result of
such withdrawal. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a
Participating Qualified Plan's decision to disregard Qualified Plan participant
voting instructions, if applicable, and that decision represents minority
position or would preclude a majority vote, the Participating Qualified Plan may
be required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw its investment in such Fund,
and no charge or penalty will be imposed as a result of such withdrawal.
Thewesponsibility to take remedial action in the event of a determination by a
Board of a material irreconcilable conflict and to bear the cost of such
remedial action will be a contractual obligation of all Participating Insurance
Companies and Participating Qualified Plans under their agreements governing
participation in the Funds, and these responsibilities will be carried out with
a view only to the interest of Variable Contract owners and Qualified Plan
participants.
5. For purposes of Condition 4, a majority of the disinterested Board Members of
the applicable Board will determine whether or not any proposed action
adequately remedies any material irreconcilable conflict, but in no event will
the relevant Fund or the Investment Managers be required to establish a new
funding medium for any Contract. No Participating Insurance Company shall be
required by Condition 4 to establish a new funding medium for any Variable
Contract if any offer to do so has been declined by vote of a majority of the
Variable Contract owners materially and adversely affected by the material
irreconcilable conflict. Further, no Participating Qualified Plan shall be
required by Condition 4 to establish a new funding medium for any Participating
Qualified Plan if (a) a majority of Qualified Plan participants materially and
adversely affected by the irreconcilable material conflict vote to decline such
offer, or (b) pursuant to governing Qualified Plan documents and applicable law,
the Participating Qualified Plan makes such decision without a Qualified Plan
participant vote.
6. The determination of the Board of the existence of a material irreconcilable
conflict and its implications will be made known in writing promptly to all
Participating Insurance Companies and Participating Qualified Plans.
7. Participating Insurance Companies will provide pass-through voting privileges
to Variable Contract owners who invest in registered Separate Accounts so long
as and to the extent that the Commission continues to interpret the 1940 Act as
requiring pass-through voting privileges for Variable Contract owners. As to
Variable Contracts issued by unregistered Separate Accounts, pass-through voting
privileges will be extended to participants to the extent granted by issuing
insurance companies. Each Participating Insurance Company will also vote shares
of the Funds held in its Separate Accounts for which no voting instructions from
Contract owners are timely received, as well as shares of the Funds which the
Participating Insurance Company itself owns, in the same proportion as those
shares of the Funds for which voting instructions from contract owners are
timely received. Participating Insurance Companies will be responsible for
assuring that each of their registered Separate Accounts participating in the
Funds calculates voting privileges in a manner consistent with other
Participating Insurance Companies. The obligation to calculate voting privileges
in a manner consistent with all other registered Separate Accounts investing in
the Funds will be a contractual obligation of all Participating Insurance
Companies under their agreements governing their participation in the Funds.
Each Participating Qualified Plan will vote as required by applicable law and
governing Qualified Plan documents.
8. All reports of potential or existing conflicts received by the Board of a
Fund and all action by such Board with regard to determining the existence of a
conflict, notifying Participating Insurance Companies and Participating
Qualified Plans of a conflict, and determining whether any proposed action
adequately remedies a conflict, will be properly recorded in the minutes of the
meetings of such Board or other appropriate records, and such minutes or other
records shall be made available to the Commission upon request.
9. Each Fund will notify all Participating Insurance Companies that separate
disclosure in their respective Separate Account prospectuses may be appropriate
to advise accounts regarding the potential risks of mixed and shared funding.
Each Fund shall disclose in its prospectus that (a) the Fund is intended to be a
funding vehicle for variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts
offered by various insurance companies and for qualified pension and retirement
plans; (b) due to differences of tax treatment and other considerations, the
interests of various Contract owners participating in the Fund and/or the
interests of Qualified Plans investing in the Fund may at some time be in
conflict; and (c) the Board of such Fund will monitor events in order to
identify the existence of any material irreconcilable conflicts and to determine
what action, if any, should be taken in response to any such conflict.
10. Each Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring voting
by shareholders (which, for these purposes, will be the persons having a voting
interest in the shares of the Funds), and, in particular, the Funds will either
provide for annual shareholder meetings (except insofar as the Commission may
interpret Section 16 of the 1940 Act not to require such meetings) or comply
with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, although the Funds are not the type of trust
described in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, as well as with Section 16(a) of the
1940 Act and, if and when applicable, Section 16(b) of the 1940 Act. Further,
each Fund will act in accordance with the Commission's interpretation of the
requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of Board
Members and with whatever rules the Commission may promulgate with respect
thereto.
11. If and to the extent Rules 6e-2 or 6e-3(T) under the 1940 Act is amended, or
proposed Rule 6e-3 under the 1940 Act is adopted, to provide exemptive relief
from any provision of the 1940 Act or the rules promulgated thereunder, with
respect to mixed or shared funding on terms and conditions materially different
from any exemptions granted in the order requested in the application, then the
Funds and/or Participating Insurance Companies and Participating Qualified
Plans, as appropriate, shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with
such Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T), as amended, or proposed Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to
the extent that such Rules are applicable.
12. The Participating Insurance Companies and Participating Qualified Plans
and/or the Investment Managers, at least annually, will submit to the Board such
reports, materials or data as the Board may reasonably request so that the Board
may fully carry out obligations imposed upon it by the conditions contained in
the application. Such reports, materials and data will be submitted more
frequently if deemed appropriate by the Board. The obligations of the
Participating Insurance Companies and Participating Qualified Plans to provide
these reports, materials and data to the Board, when the Board so reasonably
requests, shall be a contractual obligation of all Participating Insurance
Companies and Participating Qualified Plans under their agreements governing
participation in the Funds.
13. If a Qualified Plan should ever become a holder of ten percent or more of
the assets of a Fund, such Qualified Plan will execute a participation agreement
with the Fund that includes the conditions set forth herein to the extent
applicable. A Qualified Plan will execute an application containing an
acknowledgment of this condition upon such Qualified Plan's initial purchase of
the shares of any Fund.
Conclusion:
Applicants assert that, for the reasons summarized above, the requested
exemptions are appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the
protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and
provisions of the 1940 Act.
For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, pursuant to
delegated authority.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Products Series Fund, et al.
File No. 812-11698
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Release No. IC-24079
1999 SEC LEXIS 2177
October 13, 1999
ACTION: Order Granting Exemptions
TEXT: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Products Series Fund ("▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust"), Franklin
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Trust ("VIP Trust"), ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Funds
Annuity Company ("TFAC") or any successor to TFAC, and any future open-end
investment company for which TFAC or any affiliate is the administrator,
sub-administrator, investment manager, adviser, principal underwriter, or
sponsor ("Future Funds") filed an application on July 14, 1999, and an amendment
on September 17, 1999 seeking an amended order of the Commission pursuant to
Section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act") exempting them
from the provisions of Sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b) of the 1940 Act and
Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15). The prior order (Rel. No. IC19879) granted
exemptive relief to permit shares of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust to be sold to and held
by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of both
affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies. The proposed relief would
amend the prior order to add as parties to that order the VIP Trust and any
Future Funds and to permit shares of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust, the VIP Trust, and
Future Funds to be issued to and held by qualified pension and retirement plans
outside the separate account context.
A notice of the filing of the application was issued on September 17, 1999
(Rel. No. IC-24018). The notice gave interested persons an opportunity to
request a hearing and stated that an order granting the application would be
issued unless a hearing should be ordered. No request for a hearing has been
filed, and the Commission has not ordered a hearing.
The matter has been considered, and it is found that granting the requested
exemptions is appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the
protection of investors and the purposes intended by the policy and provisions
of the 1940 Act.
Accordingly,
IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Section 6(c) of the 1940 Act, that the requested
exemptions from Sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b) of the 1940 Act, and Rules
6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder, be, and hereby are, granted,
effective forthwith.
For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, pursuant to
delegated authority.